About CADRIC
Over the last 25 years, Ulster University has developed one of the largest academic computer science groupings on the island of Ireland, with a globally recognised reputation for a distinctive research focus on cognitive analytics and digial robotics. The Cognitive Analytics and Digital Robotic Innovation Centre (CADRIC) is a £39m research-led, industry-facing project driving the multi-disciplinary innovation necessary to translate the benefits of the University’s leading-edge research in data driven disciplines. The project is anticipated to complete in 2028.
CADRIC will support inclusive economic growth, including the creation of new jobs and will help establish the Derry City & Strabane District Council region as one of the best places in the world to design, develop and launch innovative services and products relating to subjects such as bio-inspired AI and Cognitive Robotics.
CADRIC will support the delivery of a skills and talent pipeline, with excellence in Research & Development & Innovation and will generate world-leading research outputs that help attract significant Foreign Direct Investment and build new collaborative innovation partnerships. This in turn directly contributes to the delivery of the Minister for the Economy's Economic Vision.
City Deal & Inclusive Future Fund package
The Derry City & Strabane District Deal and Inclusive Future Fund is the largest ever single investment package by government in the region which aims to create a more competitive, inclusive and regionally- balanced economy.
CADRIC is the establishment of a new purpose-built facility which will adopt a "shared front door" approach for two industry facing centres of excellence, Cognitive Analytics Research Laboratory (CARL) and the Centre for Industrial Digitalisation and Robotics Automation (CIDRA) Innovation Centres of Excellence. CARL and CIDRA, each with a dedicated team of staff to promote and enable industrial collaboration, expertise in benefits realisation from multi-disciplinary innovation processes and direct access to core resources and state-of-the-art equipment.
Collaboration with industrial partners and other stakeholders will translate the enormous potential of the research capability into solutions for real-world challenges. Hence, both CARL and CIDRA coming together in CADRIC, are focused on creating a location and environment for the industrial partnerships and engagements needed to deliver next generation transformational products and services and to improve the productivity of businesses across Northern Ireland, with particular emphasis on the North-West region, with meaningful impacts for the economy, productivity, and society more generally.
What are CARL and CIDRA?
Cognitive Analytics Research Laboratory (CARL)
CARL addresses real-world industrial challenges through applied research and innovation and will catalyse the development of an ecosystem around digital technologies. CARL will exploit advances in High Performance Computing (HPC) by applying AI and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to sector such as Advanced Manufacturing, Life & Health including Personalised Medicine, Creative Industries, Law, Fin-tech, Agritech, Green-tech, etc.
Centre for Industrial Digitalisation and Robotics Automation (CIDRA)
CIDRA has a specific focus on manufacturing and the use of smart collaborative robot systems, recognising that five core technologies (robotics; automation, AI, industrial internet of things (IIoT) and additive manufacturing) have now reached sufficient maturity that they provide huge opportunities and challenges for the manufacturing industry across a range of areas.
Project Objectives
CADRIC combines research excellence and industry partnerships to harness technologies in bioinspired AI, data analytics, machine learning, robotics and smart manufacturing to address challenges and support the future of advanced manufacturing and associated industries. The project sets out to achieve the following six key objectives.
- To leverage Ulster University’s significant position of strength in Cognitive Analytics (including Bioinspired AI, Data Analytics and Machine Learning) and Advanced Manufacturing (including Industrial Digitalisation, Robotics and Automation and Smart Manufacturing) and apply it to real world application areas and Grand Challenges as defined by industry partners across a range of sectors.
- To establish industry facing Centres of Excellence, recognised regionally, nationally, and internationally, as a focal point for collaborative Research and Development and Innovation (R&D&I) in Cognitive Analytics and Advanced Manufacturing. These centres act as “A Shared “Front Door” with a dedicated team of staff to promote and enable industrial collaboration, expertise in benefits realisation from multi-disciplinary innovation processes and direct access to core resources and state-of-the-art equipment.
- To support businesses in the development and application of Cognitive Analytics and Advanced Manufacturing, to develop new systems, technologies and processes that improve productivity and competitiveness.
- To deliver world class R&D&I that is at the forefront in the application of Cognitive Analytics and Advanced Manufacturing in business systems, technologies, and processes.
- To support the provision of the relevant skills needed to advance the adoption of CADRIC contributions to Cognitive Analytics and Advanced Manufacturing.
- To develop an environmentally sustainable facility.
Partners
