Diarmuid O'Brien

Replying to Lord William Hague's rallying cry for UK investment in robotics, John McDermid and I call for the UK Government (GOV.UK) to support its regulators by investing in the necessary research and training to regulate robotics safety (and I'll add AI safety, because the two are intertwined). Lord Hague says that by underinvesting in robotics, the UK could miss out on something akin to the invention of the wheel - he's right, of course, but without investment to understand and assure their safety too, the UK risks fitting that wheel without knowing how, or whether, it will fall off catastrophically. The UK's regulators need the support of the academic community - we're ready: at the University of York, we've seen this crisis coming, and have assembled the world's largest cluster of expertise in robotics and AI safety: the Centre for Assuring Autonomy, the Institute for Safe Autonomy and the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Safe AI Systems. Over the past few weeks, we've been working with the Office for Product Safety and Standards, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Health and Safety Executive, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom and more - to develop our shared understanding of the challenges. Several of these organisations are already partnering with us, because they know that the future can't be navigated in isolation, and that their workforce needs new skills to stay ahead. https://lnkd.in/eckcCXf3

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Data Science is invaluable, David (https://lnkd.in/evnJApfe). Adding to discussion. Prof Adel Ahmed: adding my thoughts to the sustainable financial model. Establishing financial feasibility is essential while commencing a university as is required by UAE’s Ministry of Education and Commission of Academic Accreditation (CAA) standards (caa.ae). Institutional licensure accompanies program accreditation. Enrolment and financial viability should be rechecked at regular intervals during operation. Sponsored programs by the industry brings in income. Higher Colleges of Technology was a pioneer in this sector. Dr. Senthil Nathan led this success story in the early days. Hamad Odhabi, Shakib Farhat were part of this venture. This often happens with government or semi-government industry, perhaps not as much in the private sector. This, in part, is motivated by a national agenda. It also has to do with the education developing and maturing in a community. The company is interested in the development of the employee – in addition to cost, there is time release given for the education. Another great model is from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani which pioneered the Work Integrated Learning Program (WILP). According to their website (https://lnkd.in/eB8RKyJg), 120,000+ working professionals have graduated over the last 45 years with a degree or certificate with 46,000+ professionals currently enrolled. They run undergraduate, graduate, diploma, and certificate programs with flexibly scheduled delivery. Alumni can be a great source income for universities but this income becomes significant only after many years of university operation during which the university graduates many stars who shine globally. Maturity of national research varies globally. National priorities might focus on bread and butter rather than research/training, as perhaps they should. Apart from national research funding, research income is heavily dependent on the nature and need of research, applied research, and consultancy in that industry in the region. More often than not research and training costs are the first to face cost-cutting measures in industry. Apart from national investment, a sustainable financial model for universities would require a partnership between government universities, government/semi-government industries, private universities, and private industry.

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Are you curious about the impact of #GenAI in higher education? GRS Research, Innovation and Industry is gearing up for our #GenAI panel. The Graduate Research School invites the JCU community to attend a panel discussion on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), featuring internationally recognised experts. This event, which forms part of our new Research Training Network (RTN), is designed to promote discussion, increase understanding and foster new ideas. We are so fortunate to have Prof Ian Atkinson who is leading the AI charge at JCU. Brilliant🚀 The panel is supported by AI@JCU (https://lnkd.in/gciuk9w6). GenAI Panel Discussion Thursday 5 September, 3:30pm – 4:30pm AEST Please register for the Panel here: Townsville: https://lnkd.in/g793gWXP Cairns: https://lnkd.in/gPGTYYx9 Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gNJe6Wnz Meeting ID: 88273986937 Password: 671325 Join live: Townsville: 25 George Kneipp Cairns: JCU Ideas Lab D4 Join the panelists: Professor Justin Zobel (University of Melbourne), Associate Professor Christopher Deneen (University of South Australia) and Dr. Samantha J. Horseman (JCU). Moderated by the Dean, Graduate Research and Researcher Development, Professor Stephan Riek This panel will canvass the implications for #researchers during the surge of GenAI use. How and when can GenAI be used #ethically in research settings? How can researchers confidently use the technology to streamline their work and produce the best outcomes? How can HDR candidates use GenAI as part of their #strategy to build their careers as innovators? This disruptive technology is now widely used and a fast-growing feature of the university landscape. The challenge for researchers and research educators is to establish the best way to optimise its use and maintain high standards of #integrity. #innovation #research #artificalintelligence #transparency #industry Lauretta Grasso Bec Shine Liz Tynan

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We're very proud to be a Queen's University Belfast spinout and part of the 3rd decade of QUBIS Ltd (2005-2004). ⭐️ Cutting-edge research in #CX #TextAnalysis and #EmotionAI going from strength to strength 💪💕🚀 Kudos to all involved — we couldn't have done it without you 🤗. #DataAnalytics #Emotion #SentimentAnalysis #Innovation #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Insights #UnstructuredText

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Have you seen the review of standards in GCSE computer science published today by Ofqual? Thank you to those of you in the CAS community who contributed to this! As Niel McLean OBE says in the attached article, "... it demonstrates that the voice of teachers can make important changes happen." 📢💬 What are your thoughts? Read more about this on our website🔗https://lnkd.in/eX4V8T_P #ComputingEducation #Exams #ofqual #GCSE #CSEducation BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

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“Opportunities for practical science are particularly important for less engaged students but only 26% of GCSE students are doing hands-on practical work at least fortnightly, down from 44% in 2016, and interest in science has declined - this is perhaps unsurprising given how much we know students like practical work.” Alarming new report by EngineeringUK; clearly not enough has been done in the past decade to overcome these barriers! And it begs this question how are we going to compete economically on the world stage with these worrying trends?

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📢 New report highlights CSA Catapult's impact on the UK economy    A new report, published today by the Welsh Economy Research Unit at Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd, highlights the economic contribution of Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult.   📈 The economic impact report found that:   CSA Catapult’s R&D projects have contributed over £600m GVA to UK economy 4,718 jobs created or safeguarded by CSA Catapult projects CSA Catapult supported 156 R&D projects and worked with 215 SMEs and 40 large organisations £15m of external R&D funding received by CSA Catapult generates a long-term benefit to UK productivity of between £56m and £86m On average CSA Catapult helped improve TRLs by 1.8 across 81 projects   Read more: https://lnkd.in/gEVgq6dN #Innovation #Technology #Economy #Report #Compound #Semiconductors Innovate UK Catapult Network

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Simple, but powerful message to the political establishment. Back the IOP’s three-point plan that is scalable to all sciences and engineering: ➡ increasing investment in R&D ➡ equipping more people with technical skills ➡ removing barriers in education which still prevent or put-off people from studying Read more: https://lnkd.in/eh6GbrNe

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Manufacturing in the Digital Age: Insights from Rab Scott 🚀 At our recent Digitalisation in Manufacturing event, we had the pleasure of hosting Professor Rab Scott, Director of Industrial Digitalisation at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). He shared some eye-opening thoughts on the urgent need for digitisation in manufacturing and how we can tackle it. Here are some of his standout quotes: 1️⃣ “We’re still having problems in manufacturing with IT, let alone with IoT.” It's a reality check! Despite all the technological advancements, many manufacturers are still grappling with basic IT issues. Before we can fully embrace the Internet of Things (IoT), we need to get our IT foundations solid. 2️⃣ “There is no value in data unless you make a decision and create action from it.” Collecting data is just the first step. The real power lies in analysing that data to make informed decisions and take actionable steps. 3️⃣ “Data has no value unless you use it.” Echoing the previous point, unused data is like untapped gold. Don't let valuable insights gather dust! 4️⃣ “No problems in manufacturing are insurmountable if you speak to the right people.” Collaboration is key. By connecting with experts and peers, you can overcome any hurdle. These insights really hit home about not just collecting data, but actively using it to drive improvements and innovation in manufacturing. As we move towards greater digitisation, the risk of cyber threats increases. It's crucial to ensure that your digital transformation is backed by strong cybersecurity measures. 🔒 Secure Your Digital Future with Our Cyber Hygiene Course! At the Cyber Innovation Hub, we're here to help you safeguard your operations as you embrace digital technologies. Our Cyber Hygiene Fundamentals course is tailored to equip you and your team with essential cybersecurity skills. Course Highlights: Understand Cyber Threats: Learn about the specific cyber risks facing the manufacturing sector. Implement Best Practices: Get practical advice on securing your IT and IoT systems. Hands-On Experience: Engage in interactive sessions with real-world scenarios. 📅 Upcoming Course: 10th October 2024 ⏰ Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm 📍 Location: Cardiff 💷 Cost: £500 👉 Don't let cyber risks derail your digital journey. Book your spot now! https://lnkd.in/ehGvYMbc Let's turn challenges into opportunities and make data work for us, all while staying secure. #Digitalisation #Manufacturing #CyberSecurity #DataDriven #CyberHygiene #CyberInnovationHub #FutureOfManufacturing

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The Guardian has highlighted a worrying trend on the uptake of GCSE Computer Science amongst females in this article: https://lnkd.in/euTdP8gh With a couple of quotes standing out: “...the introduction of the new syllabus has had the unintended consequence of driving female entries down, according to new research by King’s College London.” Also: “...In 2015 43% of candidates for ICT GCSE were female, compared with just 21% of those who took GCSE computer science in 2023….” Senior figures within the educational field of computing are urging curriculum reform, noting that many students perceive Computer Science as ‘difficult’ and that the overt focus on programming skills might be deterring girls from taking it up. Dr Peter Kemp also notes that we need to encourage girls to take up the subject and to allow them to develop the sort of digital skills that they will need in the future. What do we think about this? I taught the old ICT curriculum for many years, and yes it was very MS Office-heavy but it could also be very motivational and was a popular choice for girls. Have we gone too far down the road of programming just for the sake of it, making it the preserve of ‘geeky’ males? Are there any home schoolers who are attempting the GCSE in Computer Science who can vouch for it?!

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Since our seminal event at Bletchley Park in 2021, Silicon Catalyst.UK has helped bring together a single point of contact between Government, Industry and Academia.   Silicon Catalyst.UK is more than the voice of the UK semiconductor start-up and scale-up community, playing a major role in fostering the semiconductor policy agenda to help create the next generation of high potential UK semiconductor companies. Our ChipStart UK programme, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), has delivered outstanding returns of 20x with more than £12M raised from VC and Angel investors for the first cohort.   To help the new government build on the solid foundations of the UK semiconductor strategy announced in May 2023, we have consulted experts from across the semiconductor industry to identify the top 3 most important specific policy interventions that would unlock the UK’s potential, to help deliver economic growth as part of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy. Our two page Semiconductor Policy Paper outlines the need to: 💠 Create a National Semiconductor Institute 💠 Transform the funding ecosystem 💠 Launch a skills initiative Contact Silicon Catalyst UK to discover the latest support for semiconductor start-ups. #semiconductor #startup #strategy #investment

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🚀 As #CamTechWeek speeds on to more sellout success for our Day 4 Scale-Up Day and Semiconductor and Climate Tech Deep Dives ✨ we'd like to share some interesting factoids from our popular 'Welcome to Cambridge' event at the start of the week at The Bradfield Centre: 1. Cambridge Science Park was the VERY FIRST science park in the UK! Now there are 140 🤖 2. Of the 76 cities in the UK, Cambridge is among the 13 cities who are net contributors, giving back to the UK economy 💹   3. Cambridge’s IT and telecoms sector has an annual turnover of £5bn📱 4. Most countries in the world have never won a Nobel prize. University of Cambridge has 121 Nobel prizes 🏆 5. It is cheaper and easier to recruit for a Palo Alto company to set up a research division in Cambridge than California 🤩 6. The land on which sits The Bradfield Centre (home to Cambridge Wireless Ltd - organisers of #CamTechWeek) was donated to Trinity College in 1546 by Henry VIII 👑 🚀 Ongoing updates and takeaways from Cambridge Tech Week to follow, so watch this space!✨ #CamTechWeek, 9-13 September 2024, is powered by Cambridge Wireless Ltd #CambridgeInnovation #ClimateTech #UKTechEcosystem #CambridgeSciencePark #NobelPrizeCambridge #ResearchAndDevelopment #TechGrowth #ITandTelecom #InnovationNation #DeepTech

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It is great to know that the UK will create five research hubs to develop quantum technologies nationwide across five cities: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford and London. My doctoral alma mater, the University of Glasgow, will host and lead the hub that will develop quantum technologies for resilient position, navigation, and timing systems in national security and critical national infrastructure. The Science Secretary made the announcement yesterday during a visit to the University of Glasgow. The University of Birmingham will lead the Quantum Technology Hub in Sensing, Imaging, and Timing, while Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh will lead the Integrated Quantum Networks / Quantum Technology Hub. Quantum Biomedical Sensing Research Hub in London will be established jointly by the University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge. I also feel excited to see my future academic yard, the University of Oxford, hosting and leading the Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations Hub. Oxford will also have significant involvement in the other four quantum hubs. This includes taking on the Deputy Director role at the London hub led by UCL-Cambridge and the Associate Director role at the Edinburgh hub led by Herriot-Watt. These new hubs will be supported by a £160 million investment by the government and businesses to develop the technologies needed for the UK to play a key role in the development of quantum computers - a market estimated to be worth $1.3 trillion by 2035. #UK #UnitedKingdom #quantumcomputing #quantum #Glasgow #Edinburgh #Birmingham #Oxford #London #UniversityofOxford #UniversityofGlasgow #UniversityofBirmingham #UniversityofCambridge #UCL #HerriotWatt

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One of UK tech’s greatest strengths is the innovative ideas coming out of its leading universities. An important read from Diarmuid O’Brien, University of Cambridge’s Pro Vice Chancellor for Innovation in The Times this week on the changes Cambridge is making to improve the legal process for spin-outs. It's important that institutions like Cambridge do everything they can to support academic founders in creating science-backed firms. These changes will reduce complexity and allow founders to get on with building future global businesses. #innovation #spinouts

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📚 Book Release: Professor James V Stone, Visiting Professor at the University of Sheffield, has published 'The Artificial Intelligence Papers: Original Research Papers With Tutorial Commentaries'. This book brings together foundational AI research papers, covering key milestones from the 1958 perceptron to an early 2019 GPT model. Each paper includes a tutorial-style summary, historical context, and additional insights, making it an invaluable resource for students and researchers. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eXnNKmaw #AI #AIResearch #MachineLearning #AIHistory #UniversityofSheffield #CMI

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Brilliant news!! University of Sheffield to partner in 4 new sustainable manufacturing hubs, supported by EPSRC. Four new research hubs aiming to address the challenge of commercialising early stage research within key areas of manufacturing, such as aerospace, medicines and semiconductors, have been launched with academics at the University of Sheffield. The first hub - CSManuHubSust - aims to capitalise on the huge opportunity of compound semiconductor manufacturing, as identified in the UK’s national semiconductor strategy. The researchers will develop energy-efficient opto-electronics for use in key emerging technologies such as quantum. They will expand on the environmental benefits of compound semiconductors by creating new devices, such as mercury-free ‘night vision’ mid-infrared detector arrays and devices that both communicate and illuminate based on integrated transistors and LEDs. The hub is led by Cardiff University in collaboration with Professor Lenny Koh from the University of Sheffield’s Management School. I am honored and delighted to be the Sheffield lead for this hub. Find out more from the link below. #manufacturing #sustainability #semiconductors #aerospace #medicines

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Did printing money save an economy? 💸 A fantastic article submitted to Pragmat UK by Archie Lyall analyses the Bank of England's Quantitative Easing (QE) experiment, a bold move to rescue the UK economy from the brink of collapse after the 2008 financial crisis. Discover how buying bonds and injecting cash aimed to stabilise markets, lower interest rates, and boost economic growth. A must-read for economics students ⬇️ 📖 https://lnkd.in/dHYxXd4u

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The UK is a global hub of scientific knowledge 🔬 ranking top in the world for both the quality and the quantity (when normalised for the population) of research outputs, and having 3 of the top 10 universities in the world. In 2020, the UK ranks: 🥇 in the world for quality of academic publications, as measured by the field-weighted citation impact (FWCI). 🥉 3rd in the world for the share of total world publications, only after China and the US. 🥉 3rd in the world for the share of total world citations, after China and the US. The UK produces 57% more academic 🎓 publications than the US and six times more than China in per capita terms. Despite these stellar academic outputs, the UK’s global leadership in creating novel scientific knowledge is struggling to find practical applications that can be translated into value-creation opportunities and well-paid jobs in the domestic economy. The UK research base and its industrial performance are not well-connected, and this has had a negative impact on the economy’s growth and the creation of well-paying jobs. This is evident in the proportion of the UK’s workforce that is employed in medium and high-value-added manufacturing, which is lower than the G7 average and well behind leading manufacturing countries such as Germany and Japan. Additionally, the GDP per hour worked, a measure of productivity for the whole economy, in the UK is below the G7 average and below countries such as the US, Germany and France. The Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy article highlights the UK’s strong scientific output but points to a gap in translating research into industrial success. Similar issues are seen in South Africa’s universities, where the "publish-or-perish" ethos and The National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) rating system requirements drive research quantity and impact scores but mostly miss practical applications that could boost local industries and economic growth. South Africa could benefit from focusing on applied research and industrial partnerships to connect academic insights with business needs, fostering innovation that supports economic resilience and job creation. #UKScience #GlobalInnovation #AcademicExcellence #ResearchImpact #ValueCreation #IndustrialInnovation #EconomicGrowth #UKProductivity #SouthAfricaResearch #AppliedScience #IndustrialPartnerships #NRF

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New TWI case study just published! This latest insight looks at the long-term strategic partnership between the University of Leicester and TWI through the lens of the Materials Innovation Centre (#MatIC), established by the two parties in 2016. MatIC brings together experts from academia and industry, including its own researchers, other universities, #rtos, #smes and larger companies, to focus on the fundamental understanding of #metallic #materials, both theoretical and experimental, and how properties and performance are related to processing dependent microstructures, as well as computational, mechanised and material processing models. MatIC has an impressive portfolio of ongoing and completed projects, some of which are summarised in the case study, including Sol-Rec2 (multi-layer #packaging #recycling), FLEXIBAT (battery for #electronic wearables and #internetofthings devices), FORGE (#coatings for #energy-intensive industries) and CoCaCo2la (conversion of captured #co2 to industrial #chemicals). The Centre also helps nurture #engineers of the future, by hosting PhD students who undertake their studies with the University of Leicester and NSIRC, a state-of-the-art postgraduate #engineering facility established and managed by TWI. Read the full case study now: https://lnkd.in/dAewXHBq to find out more about MatIC including it objectives and impacts. #collaboratetoinnovate #TWIIN

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