£500k shared between big data and AI projects at Welsh universities

Welsh Universities will share a £500k fund aimed at ensuring that Wales will become an international leader in the field of data science and artificial intelligence.

Bangor, Aberystwyth, Swansea and Cardiff universities will use the Welsh Government Wales Data Nation Accelerator fund to develop 22 projects with a focus on developing the economy, sustainability and improving quality of life.

Among the projects, Bangor University will support the environment by developing software tools to deploy radar technology along the Welsh coastline.

This will provide marine renewable developers, ports and local authorities with valuable, real-time information about the waves and currents in our coastal waters. This research will help find better sites for renewable energy and improve safety.

Professor Matthias Eberl in the School of Medicine at Cardiff University will use AI to help prevent sepsis in abdominal surgery patients, while Aberystwyth University are supporting the agricultural sector by using AI to quickly identify parasites common in grazing livestock in Wales.

Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said that Wales was home to fantastic higher education research.

“It is great to see our universities working together to make sure Wales is on the forefront of developments in data science and artificial intelligence,” he said.

“I am pleased that this funding has helped support projects with the power to improve people’s lives here in Wales and further afield.

“WDNA is an example of how a strong higher education sector can support all aspects of our lives and make sure we’re prepared for the future.”

‘High-quality’

Minister for Economy, Vaughan Gething said that research, science, and technology had “never been more important” in terms of supporting solution-focussed projects and outcomes to tackle the major global problems.

“I am confident this new funding will support our universities, working with industry partners, to use the very latest technological innovation in data science and artificial intelligence to do just that,” he said.

“In doing so, they will help boost the Welsh economy by helping to create the industries of the future, which will generate the new high-quality jobs we want to see across Wales.”