UCL to lead UK’s first Innovation and Knowledge Centre dedicated to brain-inspired computing hardware
Using funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), UCL has announced plans to lead the UK’s first Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) dedicated to brain-inspired, or neuromorphic, computing hardware.
The Centre, which will launch in October, aims to accelerate the development of next-generation computing technologies designed to mimic how the brain processes information.
A consortium of institutions, including universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Strathclyde, Sheffield, Imperial College London, King’s College London and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), will support the work.
The IKC will focus on translating UK research into commercial projects through spinouts, licensing and collaboration.
Professor Tony Kenyon, who will be Director of the IKC, says: “Neuromorphic computing is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the UK to lead in a transformative technology. We already have the research excellence and a vibrant start-up ecosystem. The Neuroware centre will provide the structure, scale and support to turn that potential into real-world impact. I am delighted to be working with such an inspiring set of academic and industrial partners.”
Professor Charlotte Deane MBE, Executive Chair of EPSRC, adds: “EPSRC is proud to support this new Innovation and Knowledge Centre, which will place the UK at the forefront of brain-inspired computing hardware. The research on neuromorphic computing systems could transform how we process and interact with information in the future, potentially affording computers that are more energy efficient, feature enhanced parallel processing capability and generally more adaptable.”
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