University of Bristol wins accolades at inaugural national AI awards
University of Bristol is celebrating after it scooped the accolade of ‘AI University of The Year’ at the inaugural national AI awards and its REASON Open Networks Project also bagged AI Award for High Tech & Telecom.
The initiative - Realising Enabling Architectures and Solutions for Open Networks (REASON) - brings together the telecommunication R&D supply chain to develop a roadmap for open 6G networks.
READ MORE: Bristol named UK’s fifth most AI-ready city in new study
The university's project team meticulously crafted an award submission that showcased how the project is revolutionising network capabilities through cutting-edge AI applications, setting new standards for efficiency and performance in the sector.
Associate Pro Vice Chancellor of Research & Innovation Professor Annela Seddon attended the event and said: "We have a long history of AI research, innovation and education at the University of Bristol and we have always believed in the transformative power of AI to improve lives.
"At Bristol, we excel at connecting experts across disciplines—whether it’s working alongside our partners in government, industry, or civil society to co-create responsible and impactful AI solutions.
"These partnerships, and the groundbreaking research happening across our institutes and centres, demonstrate Bristol’s commitment to a more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive future for all."
Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, Director of the Smart Internet Lab, added that the DSIT funded REASON project was pioneering AI solutions for future networks and particularly 6G.
"Working in partnership across academia and industry we have demonstrated considerable leadership in the field," she said.
"We are delighted and honoured that this leadership has been recognised with this National AI Award."
For over two decades, Bristol has remained at the forefront of AI advancements, consistently driving forward solutions.
From the creation of autonomous robots in the 1940s and one of the first MSc programs in machine learning in 1998, Bristol university says it continues to shape its leadership in AI research, most evident by the recent launch of supercomputer Isambard AI, backed by a £225m investment from the UK government.
It comes as recently Bristol emerged as the fifth most AI-ready city in the UK, according to the SAS AI Cities Index 2024, which annually reveals the cities that are most likely to benefit from the growing appetite for AI.
