Imperial and World Economic Forum launch AI innovation center to support economic growth and global collaboration

Unveiled at London Tech Week, the new Center for AI-Driven Innovation will join the WEF C4IR global network and support UK government efforts to expand responsible AI adoption.

Imperial College London and the World Economic Forum have announced a new collaboration to create the Center for AI-Driven Innovation. The initiative, unveiled during London Tech Week, is designed to accelerate AI adoption across sectors and support economic growth through applied research and multi-stakeholder engagement.

The center will join the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network, a group of 21 hubs that develop policies and strategies for emerging technologies. This will be the first WEF C4IR center based in the UK.

Aligned with government policy priorities

The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will co-design the center’s activities in alignment with its national strategy for AI, innovation, and growth. The focus includes transforming legacy sectors, supporting new technologies, and building global research partnerships.

Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, says: “A new partnership between my department, Imperial College and the World Economic Forum will see London host the new Centre for AI-Driven Innovation. This is the first World Economic Forum Global Centre to be based right here in Britain. Focused on accelerating the adoption of AI, it will ensure that we can embed AI across our economy and put it to work for working people.”

Hugh Brady, president of Imperial College London, comments: “This new Centre will unlock AI's potential to transform existing industries and accelerate our capacity across emerging technologies including quantum computing, engineering biology and advanced materials. Anchored in the World Economic Forum global network of Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the new Centre creates a powerful multi-stakeholder platform from research through to scalable real-world innovation and adoption.”

Venture capital fellowships to expand investor capability
Imperial also confirms the return of its Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship for a second year. The initiative, delivered in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, supports the development of early-stage investors in deep tech and life sciences.

Ramana Nanda, associate dean for enterprise at Imperial Business School, says: “The Fellowship highlights our ambition to nurture the specialised talent that is needed to deploy greater risk capital into science and engineering-based ventures that are key to driving growth of the UK’s economy.”

Scholarship program targets future AI leaders

The announcement follows confirmation that Imperial will serve as an anchor partner for the new Spärck AI Scholarships, which offer fully funded master’s degrees at nine UK universities. The program, named after computer scientist Karen Spärck Jones, is designed to grow the talent pipeline in AI and STEM fields.

Participating institutions include Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Southampton, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, and Bristol.

Mary Ryan, vice-provost (research and enterprise) at Imperial, says: “As one of the world's most international universities, where diverse minds and disciplines are leveraging AI for science and innovation, Imperial is delighted to be an anchor partner in the prestigious new Spärck AI Scholarships. Together, we are building a network of future AI leaders who will shape the world through responsible innovation and convergence science.”