Data-centric engineering

The Data-Centric Engineering (DCE) programme is in its second phase, building on the strong foundations of the long-term strategic partnership between Lloyd’s Register Foundation and The Alan Turing Institute. 

DCE 2.0 is built around the following four strategic ‘pillars’:

• Translation and pull-through to adoption – Accelerate the translation of Turing DCE research into real-world impact, with a particular focus on decarbonisation and safety-critical domains.
• Standards and regulation – Drive the development of data science and AI standards for safety and sustainability by engaging potential users and regulators.
• Skills, training and knowledge exchange – Convene the best talent to contribute to significant upskilling, knowledge and best practice exchange across data science, AI and DCE, together with a range of national and international partners.
• Community building – Consolidate the successes and gains from phase one of the strategic partnership by driving greater connectivity across the national and international DCE community.

Programme themes

Digital manufacturing

As manufacturing and supply chain processes become increasingly complex, manufacturers are looking towards AI to assist in the recognition, avoidance and prediction of potential health and safety risks. This theme aims to use AI to tackle challenges in increasing the safety of the workplace, reducing energy requirements in production and supporting industry with increasing productivity.

This work is being undertaken in partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at the University of Sheffield.

Critical infrastructure

Our core infrastructure will increasingly use sensors and AI to monitor the health of assets, accurately determining the remaining life. This will help to reduce emissions from construction and ensure that infrastructure that is likely to operate beyond it’s original design life is safe.

This work is being undertaken in partnerships with the Advanced Nuclear Research Centre at the University of Strathclyde.

Marine and maritime 

The growth of technology being used in and around our oceans is increasing.  Data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are changing our oceans for the better. Transportation, renewable energy, recreation, farming, exploration, these are all areas where we are seeing more technology being deployed, and more data is being generated. Helping the marine and maritime industry develop and use data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence can improve day-to-day life. IT is also critical that technology and AI need to be trustworthy and resilient, with cybersecurity being a key cornerstone of this. Adapting engineering applications to consider these aspects allow us to safely and sustainable use our oceans now and in the future.

Humanities, social sciences and arts in data-centric engineering

To contribute to a sustainable and safe future for all this theme will galvanise fresh perspectives at the intersection of engineering and humanities. The theme will develop radical interdisciplinary methods to shape emerging AI, and inform the next generation of human-centric technologies. It will deliver a unique fusion of disciplines to help Data-Centric Engineering to tackle urgent societal, environmental and economic challenges with and for people. Central to this will be imaginative approaches from the arts and humanities to open up technology and data for exploration and discovery, and connect science and data to applications and impacts in the real world.

More information

Energy systems

As we move towards our net zero targets, it will be even more critical that our electrical systems are resilient and efficient. The UK’s Energy Digitalisation Strategy recognises the potential for AI and Data Science to have an impact in this and we aim to support this transition.

This role is undertaken in partnership with the AI for Decarbonisation’s Virtual Centre of Excellence.