As London Tech Week draws to a close, Amanda Wolthuizen reflects on what the launch of a major global AI hub in the capital will mean for businesses across the city and beyond
Artificial intelligence is radically reshaping industries and creating new opportunities for economic growth. To help harness this opportunity, Imperial is partnering with the World Economic Forum and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to establish a new Centre for AI-Driven Innovation.
The Centre is set to power the UK’s next wave of AI-driven growth — accelerating adoption across industry and government and reinforcing London’s position as a global hub for trusted, cutting-edge AI. Working closely with policymakers, we’ll help shape regulation that unlocks innovation while creating the conditions for bold, responsible experimentation at the frontier of the technology.
The Centre was announced by Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, during his keynote at London Tech Week on Tuesday. Based in London, the Centre will join the Forum’s global Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) network, which spans 21 locations worldwide — from San Francisco to Kigali, Berlin to Beijing.
London’s selection as the UK’s first C4IR hub underscores its unique strengths as a global centre of business, investment, and research. With strong international transport links, a deep AI talent pool, and a dynamic startup ecosystem supported by enabling regulation, the capital is a natural home for international collaboration on AI.
This marks the latest investment in WestTech London, a globally competitive deep tech innovation ecosystem, anchored by Imperial, that will be a powerful engine for economic growth. The new Centre will benefit from the growing cluster of AI expertise and infrastructure, including at Imperial’s White City campus and Scale Space, a hub for high-growth tech companies.
Like the World Economic Forum’s flagship annual meeting in Davos, the Centre will serve as a platform for collaboration among government, industry, and academia. It will bring together partners from across sectors to drive AI-enabled innovation with the greatest potential for economic and societal impact.
By unlocking the power of AI, the Centre will not only drive change in established industries but also accelerate innovation in new and emerging sectors – laying the groundwork for a new era of scientific and economic growth.
I look forward to sharing details on the Centre’s upcoming programmes and partnerships later this year.