Artificial Intelligence

One of the fastest-growing technologies in the world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has huge potential to reimagine the future of entire industries, drive substantial economic growth and transform all aspects of life.

Officially recognised as the UK’s fastest-growing tech cluster and the UK’s leading region for foreign direct investment, the West Midlands is already seeing tech-based companies utilise AI to test, trial, and develop next-generation products and services designed to meet national and global challenges.

These companies are working across an array of forward-thinking, innovative sectors including AdvancedTech, CleanTech and MedTech, taking advantage of our region’s leading tech capabilities and R&D infrastructure to tap into the unrivalled opportunities on offer.

Whilst it is clear AI adoption across the UK will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years as the technology becomes more readily available, affordable, and regulated, businesses within the West Midlands are already utilising it to innovate the way we live.

As the UK’s fastest-growing tech cluster, our region is well placed to play a leading role in supporting the UK Government to achieve its strategic vision of becoming a Science and Technology Superpower by 2030. Artificial intelligence has been identified as one of the five critical technologies to meet this goal, with the Government accelerating ways in which the technology can be utilised across the country, whilst also creating a pro-innovation approach to regulating AI to ensure the risks are rightfully identified and managed.

Whilst still a relatively new technology, the West Midlands’ unique “Quad Helix Approach” – an interlinked ecosystem combining academic R&D institutions, public sector organisations, private sector firms and a deep pool of tech talent – will also play a critical role in achieving this ambition and is already seeing our leading universities open research centres for further collaboration.

From enhanced customer experiences and personalised support services to optimised supply chain management, streamlined operations and predictive analytics for better market insights, artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve productivity and unlock substantial economic growth across multiple sectors across the West Midlands.

Our academic institutions and the support from the wider ecosystem give the West Midlands an advantage in enabling businesses, investors and entrepreneurs to meet their targets and ambitions at a greater scale.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning can transform the life sciences sector at a rapid scale, with patients being the ultimate beneficiaries. Within the West Midlands, cross-collaboration is seeing the technology utilised to enhance diagnosis and treatment across different health areas, helping professionals in making accurate and timely diagnoses, which will ultimately lead to earlier detection of issues and improved treatment outcomes.

INSIGHT

INSIGHT is the Health Data Research Hub for Eye Health.

It is a collaboration between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. INSIGHT utilises artificial intelligence to allow researchers to analyse millions of retinal images and related health records. The technology identifies links between tiny details (which might be missed by the human eye) and a range of health conditions – from age-related macular degeneration to diabetes and dementia.

Utilising artificial intelligence in this way is leading to new therapies, tools for increasing the speed of diagnosis and treatments tailored to individual patients.

PathLAKE

Managed by the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, PathLAKE is one of only five new UK centres in digital pathology and medical imaging.

Responding directly to the challenge for increased efficiency in pathology reporting, PathLAKE is utilising AI-driven diagnostics and will create the world’s largest depository of annotated digital whole slide images, ultimately improving outcomes for patients.

PathLAKE will play a leading role in the development, validation and implementation of AI in cellular pathology. It will be an invaluable resource for researchers and UK industry, enabling a step change in the understanding of disease and the provision of patient healthcare.

EYOTO

A spin-out company from Aston University’s School of Optometry, EYOTO focus on two key areas: lens inspection platforms with lab management analytics and tele-optometry with remote eye care platforms. They use artificial intelligence, machine learning, image processing, computer vision, semi-automation and ophthalmic user interface design to create new that revolutionise the way eye care is delivered around the world.

For example, the Aetheia technology enables examinations to be conducted remotely, in real time, without the need for the optometrist and patient to be physically present in the same location. Another of EYOTO’s line of technology, the Atlas products, greatly improves quality control within lens production, with defects being spotted long before the production process concludes.

The West Midlands is home to the most significant concentration of energy experts in the UK. As the region continues its progress towards the West Midlands Combined Authority’s target of being carbon-free by 2041, companies within the West Midlands are tapping into the endless possibilities of artificial intelligence to help achieve this.

Grid Edge

Formed as a spin-out company from Aston University, Grid Edge is a technology startup that has developed cloud-based artificial intelligence software empowering commercial energy consumers to intelligently control and optimise their building energy loads.

The first comprehensive communication and control platform for V2G charging systems, their innovative AI software deploys predictive machine-learning algorithms and advanced data analytics to reduce energy costs, cut carbon emissions and unlock the revenue-generating potential of flexible energy assets.

carbonTRACK

Having established its UK office in Birmingham in 2017, carbonTRACK, an Australian company, is a leader in smart energy management systems. They create systems that fully utilise the Internet of Things to empower energy consumers and providers. Their patented intelligent management platform allows energy users and providers to remotely control or automate energy consumption, generation and storage.

The platform and software utilise machine learning, an important component in the broader field of artificial intelligence, allowing carbonTRACK’s various products to make decisions based on their own observations and insight. This learning empowers energy consumers and providers with advanced energy control capability, and in turn is helping shape the future of smart homes and buildings globally.

Read more about carbonTRACK’s journey to the West Midlands

Eatron Technologies

Fast-growing tech company Eatron Technologies is powering a net-zero future by unlocking the full potential of batteries with intelligent software.

They utilise AI-powered software platforms that help vehicle battery manufacturers worldwide develop greener, safer and more durable batteries. Their battery management software improves range and performance of electric vehicles. It also provides accurate estimations of battery charge, health, energy and power, which optimises the vehicle’s range.

AdvancedTech companies in the West Midlands are converging Artificial Intelligence with other disruptive technologies to create solutions for longstanding industry problems, as well as global challenges including climate change.

Imobisoft

Bespoke software and automation solutions provider Imobisoft utilise artificial intelligence and machine learning to help clients increase business efficiency, reduce costs and improve profitability.

They developed an automated machine learning model enabling their client E-Energy to understand where their prices sat in comparison to competitors. The original process required deciphering huge data sets every two weeks, providing challenges with time and resources.

Once the challenges had been mapped, Imobisoft developed the automated machine learning model which streamlined the entire process. The output of the model is 100% accurate and takes just 55 seconds (from start to finish). In addition to greater efficiency, it has been calculated that using this technology has created an annual saving of £30,000 per annum for the business.

Conigital

Conigital is a Birmingham-based DeepTech company that developed ConOptium – an AI-led driverless vehicle platform, suited for any vehicle type.

The platform is deployed within key markets including airport transport, smart city development, AgriTech, manufacturing and mining. Through this, smart cities across the world will continue to be developed as the technology connects city infrastructure with digital assets, thereby making traditional industries more profitable, as well as improving social impact, sustainability, and safety. ConOptium increases productivity and contributes to the reduction of a global carbon footprint.

Lexverify

Lexverify, a Birmingham-based start-up, is revolutionising compliance for people-powered, legal organisations.

Their AI-powered assistant uses advanced natural language processing to help users avoid and prevent a range of legal and compliance risks in real time before they occur. It provides solutions for compliance across areas including competition, anti-bribery, corruption, GDPR and sanctions, amongst others.

Lexverify’s innovation prevents serious incidents before they occur, provides development and support training to employees and achieves proactive compliance at scale.

Located in Birmingham, this multidisciplinary hub brings together skilled professionals, both scientific and clinical, with the shared goal of improving healthcare.

The ITM Artificial Intelligence for Health Centre is a research centre employing experts from different disciplines including cancer, inflammation, and disease. It provides infrastructure and space for artificial intelligence and machine learning to be utilised in a laboratory setting, speeding up the translation of new discoveries into health applications.

The Artificial Intelligence Innovation Network (AIIN) combines academic and industry resources to research how human and machine intelligences are being transformed.

Focussing on the way that the rapid increase of automation is impacting jobs, the AIIN conducts rigorous cross-disciplinary research that helps advance knowledge of innovation within industry. The researchers look at how each sector could be transformed by AI and machine learning. The network is currently active in areas including healthcare, finance, law and sustainability, among others.

Aston University is actively developing and readying the next generation of AI specialists.

As part of its 2030 strategy designed to shape technologies and digital transformation, the University continues to open the world of AI to students, including those who don’t come from STEM backgrounds.

In 2023 they offered nine scholarships, worth £10,000 each, to graduates for their MSc Applied AI course, an increase in the number in 2022. This coincides with the creation of the Aston Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Application (ACAIRA) which aims to educate the next generation of AI experts and bring benefits through the development of principled and tailored AI solutions to challenges including health, environmental and modern-day social challenges via collaboration with SMEs, local authorities and governmental organisations.

Current ACAIRA projects focus on areas including; independent living conditions within healthcare, sustainable fuel exploration, and improving road safety, environment, and cities through connected, driverless vehicles.

Acting as a collaborative research and education nexus at the University of Birmingham, the Institute is working to address important societal challenges within areas such as health, sustainability, and equality. As a partner in the Alan Turing Institute, they work collaboratively with the Turing and other strategic partners to deliver national programmes, and act as a focal point for artificial intelligence knowledge exchange, extending reach beyond the University to industry partners, the NHS, and the Government.

The Institute actively works with a range of organisations from business, industry and the public sector and welcomes opportunities for collaboration to ensure that fundamental and applied research at the University can be translated into real-world impact.