Scalable Computing
This research group empowers industry, government and society to harness data at scale.
Driving innovation and creating jobs
The Scalable group is internationally renowned for tackling research challenges in:
- artificial intelligence
- high performance systems
- data science
- machine learning/computer vision/natural language processing
- data visualisation
They have united deep technical expertise with a culture of open collaboration. Their work drives innovation, and creates jobs. It also helps to make complex systems safer, greener and more trustworthy.
The group’s 'full stack' approach to data science is underpinned by research strengths in:
- data representation
- algorithm design
- systems performance
- human performance
In recent years, the group has focused on growing in key areas of data science and AI. This included designing and building specialist facilities to support our visualisation research and innovation.
Real-world change
The Scalable Computing group turns cutting-edge computer-science theory into real-world change.
The team works across high-performance systems, data science, machine learning and visual analytics. It tackles the full data stack, from representation and algorithms to human-centred visualisation. This ensures discoveries travel quickly from the lab into society.
Economic strength
The group’s research has attracted more than £100 million in external funding to Newcastle University over the last decade. This underpins dozens of cross-disciplinary projects and new facilities.
National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD)
Scalable scientists were pivotal in founding this £30 million centre. It is now housed in the Catalyst building with state-of-the-art decision-theatre visualisation labs. NICD has:
- delivered 80+ collaborative project
- helped create over 700 regional jobs
- projected to add £742 million GVA to the North-East economy in the next 10 years
Talent pipeline
The Centre for Doctoral Training in Cloud Computing for Big Data. Backed by IBM Red Hat, it offers a suite of industry-informed MSc Data Science programmes. It also trains future leaders with the rare blend of statistical insight and scalable-systems know-how that employers demand.
Strategic partnerships
Newcastle is a partner university of The Alan Turing Institute. Scalable researchers lead the ATI’s national Visualisation Interest Group (VizTIG) and collaborate with:
- 65+ UK universities
- global tech firms
- public-sector bodies
Group leads
The Scalable Computing group is co-led by Professor Daniel Archambault and Dr Matthew Forshaw.
Daniel is a Professor of Visualisation/Data Science. His area of research helps visualisation and visual analytics systems scale to the age of data science.
He investigates important research problems in:
- data science and AI
- graph drawing
- social and complex network analysis
- HCI (often in interdisciplinary settings)
He investigates all parts of the data-to-human pipeline including the visualisation algorithms to display abstract data. Daniel also looks at the perceptual evaluation of such interfaces with humans. He primarily focuses on visual analytics for machine learning and network visualisation.
Matt is a Reader in Data Science at Newcastle University. He is also a Senior Advisor for Skills to The Alan Turing Institute, the UK's national institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
His work in data and AI skills is significant. It includes working with the Government on the skills pillar of the UK's National Data Strategy and National AI Strategy.
He is a College of Experts member to the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). He is also leading the development of AI Skills for Business competency framework with Innovate UK BridgeAI.
A lot of his work is on the professionalisation of the data science occupation. The Alliance of Data Science Professionals has a significant impact on public and professional policy and practice.
It sets professional values and ethical standards for the use of data science and AI. This is for the UK's accreditation and certification processes across several major professional bodies. He is passionate about democratising access to and widening participation in data and AI skills training at all levels.