Inspired by nature – that’s what we are. The process of evolution in nature has led to a rich and diverse ecosystem inhabited by beings that are far more sophisticated and robust than any system designed by man. Computational Intelligence (CI) is a study of computational systems that are inspired by nature that can learn and adapt by interacting with their environments without using explicit human knowledge. CI techniques have been used successfully in a wide range of applications that range from designing turbine blades and new molecules, to composing music and graphic art. Computational Intelligence techniques are adding value to businesses worldwide and the potential benefits of each of these applications are estimated to be in millions of pounds. We are helping the West-Midlands to harness CI technology to regenerate and reinvent itself as one of the leading hubs for manufacturing and technology in the world.

The Centre of Excellence for Research in Computational Intelligence and Applications (CERCIA) has its roots in the world leading CI research group at the University of Birmingham. Advantage West Midlands and the University of Birmingham have committed resources worth £3.3 million pounds spread over a period of 4 years to build a world class technology transfer centre. This centre will help Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) take advantage of CI technology to generate economic value for the West Midlands. It is also attracting world attention to the West Midlands as a hub for new technology and is working with Industrial partners like Honda R&D, BT, Hewlett Packard Labs and STM Microelectronics.

We are committed to helping SMEs take advantage of our knowledge base and help them add value to their business. We are already working with SMEs in the West Midlands in diverse areas such as: -

• Using robust job scheduling techniques to aid efficient and flexible manufacturing
• Using Data Mining techniques to explore psychological survey data to aid in the design of preventive interventions
• Using dynamic optimisation techniques for warehouse management
• Designing optimised routes for salting trucks for winter road maintenance
• Analysing power consumption data remotely to detect abnormal events
• Working with local artists to help create new forms of nature inspired art