Over the past three years a collaboration between the Hartree Centre and IBM Research has been working on solving industrial challenges using AI and data intensive technologies. This applied research programme is known as IROR (Innovation Return on Research).  A qualitative review of IROR has been published, which explores the potential benefits and positive experiences of companies already engaged in the programme.

The review confirms that businesses working to incorporate emerging data-intensive and AI technologies expect to see a range of results from faster time to market for their products and a boost in productivity in their research processes.

The type of business challenges being addressed through IROR are complex and involve higher risks than any individual company would be able to undertake in isolation.  By helping to accelerate strategically important projects it is helping early adopter business to build their artificial intelligence skills.  This has enabled the participants in IROR to understand and enable them to subsequently exploit the innovation opportunities that AI and data can offer their business.

If you are interested to discover how researchers and business participants in IROR collaborated to scope out useful projects to commence the development of new AI based applications,that delivered early positive impact,  you can learn more here.