Tommy Flowers Institute for ICT launched at BT's Adastral Park

Academic researchers to collaborate with ICT industry to maximise impact of UK research

A new Higher Education ICT training institute, named after computing pioneer Tommy Flowers, was launched today at BT’s Adastral Park technology and research campus near Ipswich, Suffolk.

The institute will focus on bringing ICT-sector organisations together with academic researchers to solve some of the challenges facing UK businesses, exploring areas such as cyber-security, ‘Big Data’, autonomics and converged networks.

An initial series of lectures and workshops will start this Autumn.

The Institute will:

• Create world-class research leaders who can improve the impact of research for both universities and the digital business community in the UK;
• Improve the links between academic research and commercial opportunities in the industry so that research leads to new product innovations for consumers and businesses.
• Focus on current ICT issues, and multi- and inter-disciplinary research, enabling a rapid and effective response to current and future industry and societal challenges;
• Ensure an ongoing supply of well-rounded ICT post-graduates and post-doctoral researchers with a thorough commercial and operational perspective to complement their technical excellence.

Dr Tim Whitley, head of research for BT, and MD of Adastral Park, said: “This institute will bridge the gap between industrial research and the fantastic talent that exists in the academic sector. It’s appropriate that it is named after Tommy Flowers, a true pioneer of computing and communications technology, who brought together the best of industry and academia to create the world’s first Electronic Programmable Computer.”

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia, together with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex, have joined forces with professors from Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, Southampton, Surrey, Lancaster and many more universities to launch the initiative in conjunction with major technology companies including Huawei, Ericsson, CISCO, ARM and ADVA.

Dr Richard Burguete, Postgraduate Institute Director, National Physical Laboratory, said: “The TFI will become a vibrant hub at the centre of academia and industry for ICT that aligns with the mission of our national laboratory, and as it complements our own Post Graduate Institute we look forward to working closely together. TFI will enhance the capabilities of the UK’s postgraduate students through an exciting array of activities, conferences and networking opportunities. We fully support this initiative and will help it to succeed.”