Advanced Computing Research Centre (ACRC)

Our vision is to conduct our research endeavours through consistent, sustained and multilateral external collaborations with relevant partners in industry, government agencies and academia, to generate impact beyond academia. Our members collaborate with industry, NGOs and academic partners to develop innovative solutions for interdisciplinary applications in fields such as healthcare, security, climate change and education.

We aim to leverage the opportunities afforded by the AI revolution and our substantial industry collaborations such as with Arm Ltd. to lead transformative advancements in AI and its applications across all three ARU research themes. AI is pervasive across the great majority of the research projects conducted in the Centre, focusing on:

• interdisciplinary challenge-led AI applied in fields such as healthcare, climate change and education
• innovative AI-enabled cybersecurity approaches to threat detection, mitigation, and response, and the security of AI systems as foundation of responsible AI
• driving advancements in embedded systems, edge computing, and system-on-chip (SoC) design in order to enable near-data source AI analytics.

For more information and to discuss working with us, email [email protected]

ARU Arm AI Lab – building future AI infrastructure and innovation

Opened in March 2026, the ARU Arm AI Lab aims to create a technology-enabled space that supports advanced research, education and collaboration in artificial intelligence.

Research groups

The centre consists of three research groups, involving colleagues from within the School of Computing and Information Science and from across the university.

Artificial Intelligence and Computing Applications

This group focuses on advancing AI and innovative applications of AI to improve people's lives and increase productivity. The group has specific expertise across AI, Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL), image and signal processing, data visualisation, mobile platforms, 2D/3D modelling, distributed computing, the application of sound and imaging technology in healthcare and assisted living, AI in climate change and sustainability including biodiversity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and sensor technology.

Cyber Security, Networking and Applications

This group is dedicated to advancing research in cyber security and developing secure, reliable networking systems and applications, developing advanced algorithms and models to tackle emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities in areas such as cybercrime, malware forensics, critical infrastructure, Software-Defined Everything (SDx), and Infrastructure, as well as the security of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-enabled cybersecurity.

Additionally, we leverage AI and other new emerging technologies such as quantum computing to enhance cybersecurity by developing innovative approaches to threat detection, mitigation, and response. This requires a multidisciplinary approach combining computer science, social sciences, and humanities.

Advanced Edge Computing and Systems on Chip

This group is at the forefront of technological innovation, driving advancements in embedded systems, edge computing, and system-on-chip (SoC) design. This group is distinguished by its strategic collaborations with industry leaders, particularly with Arm.

By combining expertise in embedded technology, edge processing, and AI acceleration within System-on-Chip (SoC) design, the group is pioneering new paradigms in computing that are inspired from the structure and function of the human brain. This innovative approach holds the potential to revolutionize various fields, including robotics, healthcare, and autonomous systems.

Centre leadership team

• Prof Silvia Cirstea (Director)
• Dr Ian van der Linde (REF Convenor)
• Dr Lakshmi Babu Saheer (Group Lead - Artificial Intelligence and Computing Applications)
• Dr Hossein Abroshan (Group Lead - Cyber Security, Networking and Applications)
• Dr Oliver Faust (Group Lead Advanced Edge Computing and Systems on Chip)
• Prof Marcian Cirstea (Head of School)
• Dr Cristina Luca (PhD Students Coordinator)