Durham at the Heart of North East England’s New AI Growth Zone

Durham University has been named a key partner in the UK Government’s AI Growth Zone for the North East, underlining the University’s growing role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence. (Read full announcement →)

Durham’s Institute for Data Science, Advanced Research Computing (ARC), and the Department of Computer Science will all play central roles. Together, they are driving advances in areas such as explainable AI in healthcare, trustworthy machine learning, and AI-accelerated scientific computing.

Crucially, the announcement highlights Durham’s success in securing Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) grants — including the SHAREing Hub, a £3.8M UKRI-funded initiative led by Professor Tobias Weinzierl, Director of the Scientific Computing group. SHAREing (Skills Hub for Accelerated Research Environments Inspiring the Next Generation) will train and support a new generation of Digital Research Technology Professionals, helping researchers across disciplines to take full advantage of HPC and AI.

With initiatives like SHAREing and computing power from ARC’s Bede supercomputer, Durham is uniquely positioned to support the AI Growth Zone’s mission: to attract AI-driven businesses, create new opportunities for skills and training, and deliver impact across healthcare, climate, energy, and manufacturing.