Collaborative and Data-centric Engineering Research Cluster

The Collaborative and Data-Centric Engineering Research Cluster works closely with industrial partners to develop innovative solutions that enhance productivity, efficiency, and decision-making through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science.

Our mission is to collaboratively deliver data-centric and AI-driven innovations, from data acquisition and analysis to actionable insights, that improve safety, reliability, and operational performance across industrial and societal systems at regional, national, and international levels.

Background

Derby and Derbyshire have a long history with engineering going back to the industrial revolution in the 18th century, when the world's first commercially successful water-powered cotton spinning mill was built. It is therefore no surprise that the Computing and Engineering disciplines are well anchored within the University of Derby where research and development constitute one of its fundamental and core subjects and disciplines.

Our Aims

The Collaborative and Data-Centric Engineering Research Cluster aims to:

• Collaborative Research Integration
  Build interdisciplinary, high-impact research across AI, data science, and applied domains
• Research Quality and Innovation
  Deliver internationally competitive research advancing methods, applications, and responsible innovation
• People and Capability Development
  Develop talent by mentoring ECRs/PGRs and supporting an inclusive, supportive research culture
• Impact and Knowledge Exchange
  Translate research into real-world impact through strong partnerships and effective knowledge exchange

Research Streams

Our research is organised around a set of interconnected areas that reflect the cluster’s expertise and commitment to developing data-centric and AI-driven solutions for industry and society. The cluster’s key research streams and areas of focus include:

• Data-driven natural language processing for engineering
• AI for industrial systems and smart manufacturing
• Hydrogen and sustainable alternative fuels
• Cybersecurity and resilient engineering systems
• Railway systems engineering and decision support
• IoT, smart infrastructure and intelligent mobility
• Data centric software engineering.

Funded Projects

The Collaborative and Data-Centric Engineering Research Cluster has secured funding from a range of prestigious funding bodies, including Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, and the East Midlands Investment Zone (EMIZ). The following are some of the cluster’s recent projects:

• Artificial Intelligence for Railway Surface Defects Inspection, Innovate UK
• A multi-physics Coupled physical-digital hybrid characterisation & simulation framework for developing batteries faster and safer (ACCELERATE), Horizon Europe
• Digital Twin and Deep Learning for Engineering Inspection (Fleet Inspection), Innovate UK
• Inspector Plus (Aerospace Inspection), Innovate UK
• Intelligent Digital Twins for Sustainable Industrial Applications, Innovate UK
• Digital Twin Platform for Turbine Repair Applications, NATEP
• Hydrogen Port Fuel Injection for Retrofit Applications in Diesel Freight Locomotives, EMIZ
• Artificial Intelligence For Supply Chain Transformation For Resource Efficiency In Advanced Manufacturing Systems (AI-STREAMS), Innovate UK
• AI-Powered Predictive Analytics & Digital Twin System for Operational Process Optimisation, Innovate UK
• Data-driven Decision-support System for Asset Intelligence Optimisation, Innovate UK
• Actionable knowledge graph solution for enabling visualization, forecasting, and analytics services, Innovate UK
• Secure Orchestration of Edge AI with Zero Trust Architecture for Next-Generation Resilient Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS-SEAL), RITICS Fellowship
• Actionable knowledge graphs for automated qualification services in Industry 5.0, Royal Society.

Join us

If you are interested in joining this research centre, want to find out more or are interested in applying for a PhD in this area, please contact Dr Alaa AlZoubi.