University of Liverpool unveils plans to establish UK’s flagship AI-driven materials discovery centre

(Press-News.org) 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.

National Centre of Excellence

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.

The facility aims to bridge the translational gap between academic research and industry implementation to accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics in materials science, boosting innovation, driving economic growth, and supporting workforce skills and development.

Economic benefit

AIM-HI is a £100 million total project that is estimated to create or support up to 900 high-value jobs across the UK and generate more than £400 million in Gross Value Added (GVA), fuelling a new era of economic growth driven by AI and advanced materials innovation in the UK. Funding for AIM-HI will be secured from multiple sources, including industry.

AIM-HI will form an important part of a new, capital building project of £111 million for a purpose-built 9,350m2 facility for chemical sciences at the University of Liverpool, set to open in 2031.

Located in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter, this new building for chemical science innovation will provide flexible and adaptable laboratory space to support technology-led research and teaching to address global challenges. It will help train the scientists of the future, providing students with access to state-of-the-art equipment in a way that is not currently possible in the UK.

Global leadership

Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said: “This is a bold and forward-looking initiative to unlock the full potential of AI in advanced materials discovery.

“The University of Liverpool is a global leader in AI-driven materials research and industry collaboration, as demonstrated by the success of the Materials Innovation Factory.

“AIM-HI represents the next step in our mission to accelerate materials science innovation, drive regional and national economic growth, and support the UK’s transition to net zero. We are determined to put Liverpool - and the UK - at the forefront of the global AI revolution in materials discovery.”

Professor Matthew Rosseinsky OBE FRS, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Chemistry and Materials Innovation Factory, said: “AIM-HI reflects our ambition to seize the opportunity offered by AI to accelerate the discovery of the materials that society will need to tackle global challenges. By developing new tools to identify outperforming materials from the vast space of chemistry, we will open new scientific directions and drive forward technology. Our extensive network of industrial and academic partners will be key to success.”

Professor Andy Cooper FRS, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Chemistry and Academic Director of the Materials Innovation Factory, holds a Royal Society Research Professorship to further develop the world’s first AI-powered mobile robot chemist, which he built.

He added: “At Liverpool, we are at the forefront of harnessing the combined power of robotics and AI to drive chemical research and innovation.

“AIM-HI will be a catalyst for positioning the UK at the leading edge of this fast-moving field -fuelling impact by linking academic excellence and industrial expertise with regional strengths and global networks.”

Building on success

AIM-HI builds on the proven track record of the University of Liverpool’s Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), an £81 million centre of excellence for advanced materials discovery co-created with Unilever.

The MIF, which opened in 2018, has generated more than £120 million in competitive grant funding, supported hundreds of high value jobs and catalysed SME growth across the region.

AIM-HI will apply the MIF’s highly successful academic-industry collaboration model at a national level.

Research excellence

The University of Liverpool is a world leader in AI and robotics for materials chemistry, with an international reputation for pioneering research in the field. This is emphasised by the 2021 SAIL Award, the 2023 Eni Energy Frontiers Award and in 2025, and both the Davy Medal and the Royal Medal from the Royal Society.

The University jointly-leads AIChemy, the £12 million AI for Chemistry Hub that is developing state-of-the-art AI solutions for use in chemistry.

The University’s Department of Chemistry is the only one in the UK to have been ranked in the top three for Impact in the last two Research Excellence Frameworks (REF 2014 and REF 2021).

In 2023, it was awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in recognition of its research to address global challenges and benefit society.

 

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