The National Edge AI Hub brings together the facilities of 15 leading partner universities, creating one of the UK’s most comprehensive ecosystems for advancing edge‑focused artificial intelligence research. Across this distributed network, organisations can access world‑class infrastructure including high‑performance computing clusters for training and validating large AI models, specialised edge‑computing testbeds equipped with real devices and distributed systems, and dedicated environments for evaluating AI safety, cybersecurity, and system resilience. Partners also contribute unique capabilities such as robotics laboratories, cyber‑physical system testbeds, digital‑twin environments, chip‑design cleanrooms, and large‑scale data‑visualisation platforms, providing a rich, collaborative environment for high‑risk, high‑gain innovation.
University of York
The York Robotics Laboratory
The York Robotics Laboratory is a purpose-built state-of-the-art research facility for robotics design, construction, research and teaching.
- 80-square metre arena space with high ceilings.
- Research involving drones, multiple tracking & controllable lighting systems.
- Enabling repeatability and accurate analysis of experiment results.
Nottingham Trent University
Future Mobility Innovation Lab (MI)
The Future Mobility Innovation Lab is aiming to innovate next generation technologies for future mobility solutions focusing on safety, security and sustainability.
Hydra
Hydra is NTU’s experimental supercomputer built to tackle today’s most complex challenges.
University of St Andrews
The Hub’s mission is to unlock the scientific and societal opportunities in the next Internet frontier, Edge computing.
- Hosting a range of devices, such as embedded or single-board computers and clusters, as well as servers.
- Prototyping and experimenting with research on distributed machine learning systems.
- Partners with Rakuten Mobile.
University of Leicester
ALICE is a dedicated High Performance Computing (HPC) facility designed to support data-intensive research & complex simulations.
- Scalable architecture with advanced GPU acceleration for AI & Deep Learning.
- Optimised for massive parallel processing of large-scale datasets.
- Delivers rapid computational power for industry challenges.
Imperial College London
The Data Observatory is Europe’s most advanced data visualisation environment, designed to help industry partners immerse themselves in complex datasets.
- 32-megapixel, 313-degree panoramic display powered by 64 screens.
- Enables collaborative discovery and high-impact decision-making for large-scale data.
- Provides immersive “digital twin” simulations and patterns invisible on standard screens.
Durham University
Durham University’s Hybrid Intelligence Lab offers a suite of advanced research tools designed for the next generation of autonomous systems.
- Edge AI Digital Twin: A specialised testbed for simulating and validating EdgeA I devices.
- 2D-to-3D Engine: Converts 2D imagery into high-fidelity 3D assets for training.
- Autonomous Annotation: Automated image and point-cloud pipelines to accelerate data preparation.
University of Warwick
The Internet of Things Security Operational Test and Evaluation Centre (IoTSETEC) Laboratory
IoTSETEC Laboratory is the UK’s first dedicated facility for end-to-end security and resilience testing of connected devices.
- Specialised workbenches for hardware attacks, jamming, and software fuzzing.
- Ensures compliance with UK/EU cyber regulations (e.g. PSTI Act).
- Stress-tests prototypes to prevent costly recalls and data breaches.
Lancaster University
Cyber Security Research Centre
Cyber Security Research Centre offers businesses a secure environment to visualise complex threats and stress-test critical infrastructure.
- Features a 22-meter wrap-around video wall for immersive war room scenarios & data visualisation.
- Contains a specialised testbed using real-world technology to simulate cyber-attacks on power grids
- Co-locates industry partners with academic teams via The LENS to accelerate secure digital innovation
Queen’s University Belfast
Kelvin2 High Performance Computer
A Kelvin-2 National High Performance Computing facility designed to power data-intensive research and precision engineering.
- Features 8,000+ CPU cores and NVIDIA v100/A100 GPUs for complex AI training.
- Optimised for Green Software research to benchmark energy efficiency at scale.
- Offers dedicated industry access as a cost-effective, high-speed alternative to commercial clouds.
University of Southampton
Europe’s leading multidisciplinary Zepler Cleanroom complex enables partners to design and manufacture the next generation of AI chips.
- Provides foundry services for photonic and electronic prototyping without a private fab.
- Features sub-10nm lithography tools to create ultra-efficient Edge AI hardware.
- Enables businesses to hire specialist equipment and experts for confidential R&D.
Aston University
Sir Peter Rigby Digital Futures Institute
Sir Peter Rigby Digital Futures Institute is a multidisciplinary hub designed to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial digital transformation.
- Partners with Capgemini to co-develop practical AI solutions for finance and manufacturing.
- Features an isolated CyberLab for stress-testing IoT and Edge AI protocols against real-world threats.
- Develops high-speed optical sensors and networks essential for Edge AI via the Institute of Photonic Technologies.
Cardiff University
Cyber Innovation Hub is a region-defining facility dedicated to the security of critical infrastructure, Edge AI, and operational technology (OT).
- Hosts immersive OT Testbeds to simulate real-world cyber-attacks on connected devices.
- Features a world-class Digital Twinning facility for safe product prototyping and stress-testing.
- Accelerates commercialisation through a dedicated Venture Building Programme for industry partners.
Newcastle University
The AI Safety Lab is a national‑scale facility designed to accelerate the safe development and deployment of advanced AI systems across the UK’s research ecosystem.
- Combines £900k of cutting‑edge infrastructure from Lenovo, NVIDIA and Intel to support shared AI safety testing across all nine UKRI AI Hubs.
- Provides a unified environment for stress‑testing and validating frontier models, reducing duplication and boosting coordinated national research.
University of Hull
Aura Innovation Centre serves as a hub for low-carbon innovation, helping businesses prototype “Green Edge” technologies and accelerate Net Zero goals.
Centre of Excellence for Data Science, AI, and Modelling (DAIM)
Centre of Excellence for Data Science, AI, and Modelling (DAIM) is a specialist facility designed to be the region’s hub for high-performance AI computing.
Swansea University
The Computational Foundry drives industry-academic collaboration through world-class digital research in computer science and mathematics.
- Features the Crucible specialised research space for industrial proof-of-concept and prototyping.
- Houses dedicated R&D laboratories for cyber security, health technology, and human-centred computing.
- Acts as a regional hub for digital innovators to test ideas and scale commercial opportunities.