Prime Minister visits UCL East campus

The Prime Minister visited our UCL East campus today, learning first-hand about our groundbreaking research and facilities, and how technologies including robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) can help accelerate discoveries for the benefit of everyone in society.

Sir Keir was at our UCL campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to announce an action plan for AI to promote growth and boost living standards.

He made his speech in the UCL Institute of Making in our Marshgate building, where he met Professor Paola Lettieri, UCL Vice-Provost for Strategy and the Institute's Director, Dr Zoe Laughin. Professor Lettieri also welcomed our local Stratford and Bow MP Uma Kumaran and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to our campus for the event.

This was Sir Keir’s first visit as Prime Minister to the Park and to East Bank, the UK’s newest cultural quarter, where UCL East is located along the river from our partners Sadler’s Wells East, BBC Music Studios, London College of Fashion, UAL and the V&A East Museum and Storehouse,

As well as business and industry leaders, politicians and media, the audience included representatives from organisations and institutions across London and on the Park, including London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), our East Bank partners and colleagues from our SHIFT innovation catalyst partnership.

The Prime Minister was welcomed to UCL East by UCL President and Provost Dr Michael Spence.

Sir Keir was accompanied by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Peter Kyle who joined a round table with leading UCL researchers involved in AI to hear more about the impact of their work and how governments can support.

Experts included Prof Cathy Holloway from our UCL Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) at UCL East who talked about accessible technology, inclusive design, and the role of enterprise.

Sir Keir and Mr Kyle then enjoyed a tour of the UCL Manufacturing Futures Lab (MFL) at UCL East, which focuses on delivering the sustainable products and processes of the future. They were accompanied by MFL Director, Professor Gary Lye, Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost for Research, Engagement and Global Engagement, and Solomon Bawa, lecturer in the Digital Manufacturing of Advanced Materials,

There the UCL team explained how technologies such as AI are helping to accelerate research with a demonstration of a liquid handling robot involving Chemical Engineering researchers Dian Ning Chia and Fanyi Duanmu.

Researcher Valerio Modugno, from UCL Robotics and Autonomous Systems at UCL East, explained to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State the importance of AI in robotics in areas such as medical robotics, agritech, vertical farming and search and rescue operations (see headline photo). He also explained how it is now possible for a robot to process a year’s experience in just a few minutes.

Following Sir Keir's speech and then questions from the media, all of which was broadcast live, the Prime Minister and Secretary of State spoke to guests and were interviewed by journalists, with coverage of the event appearing across all major outlets in the UK, and featured internationally.

Photo credit: Andrew Parsons / Parsons Media (except for photo 3 which is credit UCL).

Read the full story on UCL News
 

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