The University’s role as a driving force for innovation in the UK was evident as he toured the Isambard-AI supercomputer and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL), meeting researchers who are tackling some of society’s biggest challenges - from modelling the impact of climate change to developing new drugs and supporting an aging population.
During the visit to NCC at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, where he was hosted by Bristol’s Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Evelyn Welch and Dr Jo Dally, Chief Business Officer at NCC, Prince William learnt how Isambard-AI’s impressive speed is powering research which hadn’t been possible in the UK and globally until now.
The £225m government-funded national facility, built and run by the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS) in close partnership with HPE and NVIDIA, is able to process in one second what it would take the entire global population 80 years to achieve. It was officially launched in July last year and is the world’s fastest university supercomputer.
His Royal Highness met Professor Simon McIntosh-Smith, Director of BriCS, as well as Dr Danielle Paul, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, whose British Heart Foundation-funded research is using the supercomputer to support the development of new drugs to combat heart disease.
He also met Dann Mitchell, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Bristol, whose research shows how to use AI to better predict extreme weather under different climate scenarios, especially for human and ecosystem health.
Isambard-AI is located at NCC, a wholly owned but independently operated subsidiary of the University of Bristol. It’s home to a vast array of trailblazing technologies and bridges the gap between academia and industry, helping companies large and small to capitalise on cutting-edge innovation.
Whilst on site, the Prince also saw a paracanoe seat developed for Paralympic champion, Emma Wiggs MBE, who won Gold and Silver at Paris 2024. The lighter, five-times-stiffer seat improved power transfer and speed and was made using digital tools and embedded sensors.
The Prince of Wales’ final stop of the day was the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL), the most comprehensive academic centre for multi-disciplinary robotics research in the UK and a partnership between University of Bristol and UWE Bristol, where it’s based.
During the visit, the Prince of Wales toured the facilities in the BRL, where he met Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol, and Katie Poyner, Union Affairs Officer at Bristol SU, before being introduced to the University of Bristol-led engineering research team at the VIVO Hub for Enhanced Independent Living, which is bringing together advanced robotic and digital healthcare technologies to pioneer new approaches to ageing and assisted living.
Andrew Conn, Professor of Robotics at the University of Bristol, and Carlos Cifuentes, Deputy Director of VIVO Hub and Associate Professor in Human-Robot Interaction at UWE Bristol, along with PhD students, demonstrated some of VIVO Hub’s smart garments and exoskeletons that provide health monitoring, physical assistance and rehabilitation, helping to restore an active and independent life.
This includes robotic clothing that can help to prevent falls, support people to get up from a chair, climb stairs and walk for longer, and assist in developing daily activities with independence.
The Prince of Wales also met the founders of two start-ups led by University of Bristol graduates, which are working to improve the lives of people with disabilities and those living with dementia.
Supersmith is a technology company changing the way the world thinks about mobility scooters, based within the BRL’s hardware incubator, a space for high-tech enterprises to commercialise their business. Two of its three founders, Tom Morgan and Emily Morgan, demonstrated Supersmith’s 3Scooter, a three-wheeled scooter using unique self-stabilising robotic technology. Its design reduces the risk of tipping while enabling users to sit at eye level with those around them, breaking down the social stigma of using a mobility scooter.
Supersmith’s three founders - including Bristol Physics PhD graduate Dr Fred Russell-Pavier - have their own personal connection to the world of mobility, with the business developed through a desire to make life easier for people who find it difficult to walk.
Finally, Dr Zeke Steer, founder of Milbotix, a start-up revolutionising dementia care through advanced wearable technology, spoke to Prince William about SmartSocks®, his product which tracks heart rate and motion to provide an insight into the wearer’s wellbeing and determine when a person with dementia is distressed.
Zeke, a graduate of BRL’s joint PhD programme, started Milbotix after seeing his great-grandmother’s experiences of dementia and worsening agitation meaning she couldn’t be cared for by family. Zeke wanted to use technology to detect levels of distress in people with dementia that allows for quicker physical or psychological interventions, reducing stress for users and their caregivers.
Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: “It has been a pleasure to welcome His Royal Highness to Bristol today and to showcase the extraordinary research and innovation taking place across our University.
“From the groundbreaking research powered by Isambard‑AI to the life‑changing technologies being developed within the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, our researchers and graduates are working at the forefront of discovery to address some of society’s most pressing challenges.
“We were delighted to share with Prince William how this work is already making a real difference to people’s lives, and how our teams are striving every day to create positive change for communities here in the UK and around the world.”
The number of organisations, research projects and people who featured in the visit showcased the collaborative nature of the innovation ecosystem in the region. Partnerships are ensuring pioneering research is translated into real-world solutions, supporting economic growth, creating opportunities and delivering benefits for people in the West of England and beyond.
Professor Judith Squires, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the University of Bristol, said: “Today’s visit shines a light on the extraordinary impact that is possible when universities, industry and regional partners work together with a shared sense of purpose.
“Our long-standing partnership with UWE Bristol through the Bristol Robotics Laboratory exemplifies the strength of collaboration across the region, bringing together world-class research, cutting-edge facilities and outstanding talent to drive innovation that genuinely changes lives.”
Dr Jo Dally, Chief Business Officer at NCC, said: “Hosting Isambard-AI gives us the opportunity to connect world-class research with industrial applications. By harnessing this transformational capability we can help companies scale, support industrial growth, and continue to ensure UK competitiveness.”