Experts gather to examine London as a major European AI hub

Experts from national and local government, policymakers, industry and academia explore the opportunities and challenges facing London’s AI ecosystem.

Hosted by Imperial and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), the roundtable, Inside Europe’s top AI hub: what’s driving London’s success?, examined the London AI ecosystem and its successes and barriers to further growth in the sector. Taking place at the White City Deep Tech Campus, the discussion had a focus on the role of universities like Imperial in enabling London to maintain and capitalise its position as a major European AI hub.

Key representatives from national and local government, policymakers, industry and academia attended the roundtable. They discussed key themes around the need for more financial support for AI startups and scaleups, the role of London and the UK in being a global leader in AI safety, and building trust around the development and deployment of AI.

The roundtable identified shared challenges and distinct approaches between London – as the leading European AI hub – and other European countries and cities with a significant AI presence, including Paris, Munich and Eindhoven. The roundtable also discussed ways to achieve a more coordinated approach around AI development and innovation across Europe.

Imperial’s AI Activity – supporting and growing London’s AI ecosystem

Professor Alessandra Russo, Head of the Department of Computing, spoke about Imperial’s role in supporting the wider ecosystem around London’s AI sector, providing crucial skills, research capacity and opportunities for collaboration with businesses and investors.

Professor Russo spoke about equipping the next generation of AI researchers, practitioners and entrepreneurs with the skills they need through our dedicated AI courses and programmes. Imperial is supporting AI skills development through our Centres for Doctoral Training in AI for Health and AI for Digital Healthcare.

Our new AI accelerator initiative, the AI SuperConnector, supports early career researchers to launch high-potential startups using AI to solve real-world problems. Led by Imperial and based at White City, the initiative also has an impact across the UK, with partner institutions including the University of York, the University of Leeds and the University of Liverpool.  

Imperial’s White City Deep Tech Campus, part of the London WestTech Corridor, is home to a new generation of innovative AI startups and spinouts as well as companies applying AI to their businesses. I-X, Imperial’s flagship AI initiative, is a new digital foundry based at the Campus which combines Imperial’s strengths in foundational and applied AI to address interdisciplinary challenges and support exciting industrial collaborations.