Computer science experts from academia and industry discussed the key challenges surrounding emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies at the launch of the University of Southampton’s Centre for Machine Intelligence (CMI).

The new CMI, based within the Department of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS), draws together researchers and practitioners in AI, machine learning and autonomous systems to develop a coherent approach to research and technology transfer to impact our future society.

Over 100 attendees from across the University and industry explored opportunities in the research themes at a CMI launch event at Highfield Campus on Thursday 1st February. The workshop, which was sponsored by Oxford Innovation, posed pressing questions around the ethical and responsible use of AI and Blockchain with a focus on its application in large scale Internet of Things (IoT) systems in the insurance and social care sectors.

Speakers at the CMI’s inaugural event included Simon Towner, CEO at KOIOS Master Data, Martin Doyle, CEO of DQ Global, and Russ Cole, Chairman of the ESL Group.

Dr Sarvapali (Gopal) Ramchurn, Associate Professor and Head of the CMI, explains, “Machine Intelligence has been at the centre of the research activities of the University of Southampton for more than 20 years and our department has generated over £50m of funding for Machine Intelligence technologies in the last 10 years across 30 medium to large research projects. The formation of the CMI is an important next step at a time of great advances in this field and we look forward to working with industry, policy makers and the general public as we address both national and global challenges.â€?

ECS at the University of Southampton currently has over 30 academics and researchers working on the fundamental underpinnings of AI, autonomous systems and machine learning. Research groups within the department that focus on the theoretical aspects of Machine Intelligence include the Agents, Interaction, and Complexity group, and Vision, Learning, and Control. In addition, a number of other groups across the university are increasingly applying AI and machine learning in their research areas. This includes Smart Energy Systems, Smart Manufacturing, Precision Healthcare, and Smart Cities.

In the next few months, the CMI will be ramping up its activities in order to boost PhD student numbers through funded studentships and support new research projects in collaboration with industry through focused Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), GDPs (Masters Level Group Design projects) and large grant funding bids.

Engineers at the University of Southampton will improve access to artificial limbs in lower and middle income countries (LMICs) in a new £900,000 project supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund.

The three year project, which will include mentoring from Associate Professor Gary Wills in the Department of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS), will carry out studies in Cambodia to develop digital tools that will improve access to prosthetic and orthotic services. Gary will oversee the technical development of distributed database systems for patient records in the project.

The scheme is being funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research, with international partners including ECS spinout BluPoint. Researchers will use the spinout’s offline internet technology to share educational material and help people manage their conditions.

Read the full news story here

Professor Vladimiro Sassone, Head of the Cyber Security Research Group within Electronics and Computer Science (ESC) at the University of Southampton, is to be appointed Chief Scientific Officer for Cloudify NoiPA, a major project of the Italian government aimed at moving the IT administration of the public sector into the cloud.

Professor Sassone will have an explicit mandate for the cyber security aspects of the project, worth in excess of €70m, which is run by Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, under the responsibility of Francesco Paolo Schiavo, the Director of the Ministry’s Department of General Administration.

“I am honoured and excited to be involved in such a large, significant and challenging project, both personally and for the Cyber Security profile of the University of Southampton,â€? said Professor Sassone.

“Due to the legal requirements of protection of personal data as well as the intrinsic strategic and economic value of the information held in the system, the security challenges for Cloudify NoiPA are very significant,â€? he continued. “They range from guaranteeing the physical security of the IT infrastructure to verifying the tightness of security protocols involving humans and machines (through formal methods); from the selection of secure end-user technology to the management of vulnerabilities in obsolete external devices; and from the design of role-based data access control to the compliance with GDPR and other privacy/security regulations.

“The collection of security requirements and the adoption of effective security design and engineering which works well with the ultra agile software engineering methodologies used to develop NoiPA are a challenge in itself,â€? Professor Sassone concluded. “This highlights for me the unhappy state of affairs regarding the engineering of security requirements, which is now the PhD topic of one of our Cyber Security students.â€?

The University of Southampton plays a leading role in cyber security research and education, undertaking basic and applied cyber security research, and providing core capabilities and leadership in support to University’s broader security activities.

At the core of these activities is the University’s Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Research in ECS, recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as well as the Cyber Security Academy, a partnership between University, Industry and Government, whose objectives span from research and consultancy to outreach, training and knowledge transfer.

Click here to follow further developments via the Cyber Security Southampton blog.

This year’s Engineering and Technology Careers Fair, taking place on Tuesday 13 February and organised by the Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, welcomes an outstanding range of companies at the forefront of autonomous systems development and technology integration.

The Fair, which has been running for 10 years, has a strong reputation for the quality of companies who have attended over the years and for the important role it plays in enabling Southampton students to meet potential employers across many sectors, including digital technology, finance, security, consultancy, transport, and communications.

International industry leaders such as Arm, Dyson, Intel, Cisco, Bloomberg, Visa and Vodafone will be joining some of the UK’s most respected technical consultancies – TTP, Cambridge Consultants, Roke Manor Research, with significant representation from niche start-up companies in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, data, and cyber security.

‘The Fair provides a fantastic opportunity for students to get a really wide-ranging view of the breadth of opportunities for them in the engineering and technology industries,’ says Joyce Lewis, Careers Fair Director. ‘Southampton students already have an excellent reputation for their success in the jobs market and the quality of the companies attending the Fair is a great endorsement of this.’

The event takes place in Garden Court on the Highfield Campus and around 1500 students are expected to attend from all departments in the University. In addition to the global companies attending, there will also be strong representation from the University of Southampton Science Park at Chilworth, with companies looking for the brightest students to join their high-tech ventures.

‘We very much welcome the high quality of companies coming to Southampton to employ our students,’ said Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi, Dean of Physical Sciences and Engineering. ‘They are taking part in the Fair because they are aware of the quality of our students and their ability to innovate and support the development of future technologies. There are very exciting careers to be built in these new industries and we value our strong links with companies and the excellent relationships built up over time. Many of the stands will include Southampton graduates, demonstrating the contribution that our students are making to the UK’s industrial and business success.’

Students attending the Fair can expect strong interest from leading employers across the technology industries and from companies that are seeking excellent graduates with high-level competence in technology and engineering as well as business and the sciences.

‘The environment we have created here based on our strong research reputation, continues to ensure that companies want to promote their opportunities to our students,’ said Professor Al-Hashimi. ‘For our part we do our best to increase our students’ awareness of career opportunities, right from their very first week at the University. We want to prepare them to find the job they want, and raise their aspirations of future achievement.’

The Fair is on Tuesday 13th February, from 11.00am - 3.30pm in Garden Court, B38. For further information contact Joyce Lewis, tel. +44(0)23 8059 5453.