The University of Liverpool has unveiled an ambitious plan to position the Liverpool City Region and the UK as a global leader in AI-driven materials research, development and innovation.

Announced at the University’s annual Vice-Chancellor’s Conference, the new £100 million AI Materials Hub for Innovation (AIM-HI) will be a flagship national facility dedicated to accelerating the application of artificial intelligence in materials chemistry.

Focusing on areas such as catalysis, materials for net-zero, soft matter and product formulation, AIM-HI will drive innovation in sectors crucial to the UK economy and the transition to net zero.

AIM-HI will feature state-of-the-art research and translational spaces, as well as an innovation incubator designed to foster collaboration between academic and industrial researchers.