Essex's AI research and partnerships celebrated at national awards

Essex has cemented its place among the leading artificial intelligence (AI) research institutions in the UK after three of its research partnerships with businesses were nominated for national awards.

Leading AI researcher, Dr Haider Raza, of the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, has also earned individual recognition at this year’s National AI Awards, after he was shortlisted for the prestigious Alan Turing Innovator of the Year prize.

The National AI Awards recognise the individuals, teams and organisations driving meaningful progress in AI across the UK, spanning innovation, leadership and real-world application.

Holly Leonard, Head of Business Engagement at the University of Essex, said: “It’s fantastic to see our business partners recognised as finalists at the National AI Awards, reflecting the impact of the AI projects we have delivered together.

“These collaborations demonstrate the University of Essex’s leadership in applied AI and our ability to work with companies to deliver measurable outcomes across sectors including transport, infrastructure and healthcare. This is a key reason why businesses choose to partner with Essex to develop and deploy ambitious AI solutions.”

SME Business of the Year

Essex’s partner Entopy has been recognised as a finalist in the AI SME Business of the Year category, which recognises small and medium-sized businesses using AI to drive growth and gain a competitive advantage.

The University’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Entopy was a key part of the submission where the project focused on the generation of highly accurate synthetic data to facilitate the creation of discrete AI Micromodels where data is scarce or sparse, which is a key challenge for the adoption of AI in industrial settings.

The nomination recognises Entopy’s deployment with Harwich Haven Authority where its technology, which involves multiple AI micromodels deployed and integrated into an overall system that orchestrates data and predictions to provide decision support across the ecosystem surrounding the Port of Felixstowe, driving efficiency and potential fuel and emissions savings.

The project brings together data from across port operations and applies AI models to forecast key factors including vessel timing, pilot availability and berth space.

This has enabled earlier visibility of risks and delivered automated, real-time insights to teams, improving coordination, reducing costs and strengthening supply chain resilience.

Best industry-specific AI solution

Work from two further Essex KTPs have been shortlisted in the Best Industry-Specific AI Solution category, which highlights AI technologies delivering significant sector-wide impact.

Essex’s collaboration with Railscape has been recognised for its DroneArb technology.

The AI-driven tool uses imagery, precise elevation data and an in-built plant algorithm to predict vegetation-related hazards on the railway.

It has saved Railscape thousands of hours of manual on-foot surveying and identified 408 per cent more trees at risk of causing disruption and delays.

The University’s partnership with Check4Cancer has also been shortlisted for its use of AI in healthcare.

The SKINTEL model, developed with Check4Cancer’s Founder, Chief Medical Officer and CEO Professor Gordon Wishart and Dr Haider Raza, can detect skin cancer with 99 per cent accuracy, supporting clinicians in identifying malignant lesions earlier and reducing waiting times for patients.

The system also incorporates explainable AI, designed to support clinicians rather than replace them, improving transparency and decision-making accuracy.

The relationship between Check4Cancer and Essex has been further strengthened by Professor Wishart accepting a Visiting Professorship in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering in March 2026.

Alan Turing Innovator of the Year

Dr Raza’s work on SKINTEL is a key factor in his shortlisting for the Alan Turing Innovator of the Year award.

Named after pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing, the award recognises individuals making outstanding contributions to artificial intelligence through research, innovation and leadership.

Dr Raza is also co-founder of Sensiwise AI, which supports organisations in designing and deploying practical AI solutions with measurable impact.

He also works with the government on the responsible use of tools such as Microsoft Copilot and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) models to improve operational efficiency.

Dr Raza said: “Being shortlisted in two categories at the National AI Awards is a real honour, and it reflects the vital role universities play in advancing artificial intelligence from research into real-world impact.

“The recognition of the Check4Cancer SKINTEL project is particularly meaningful, as it demonstrates how academic–industry collaboration can support earlier detection and more efficient clinical pathways in healthcare.

“Alongside this, our work through Sensiwise AI and the SAIRA platform highlights the broader importance of enabling organisations to adopt AI responsibly and effectively.

“Together, these efforts underline that AI innovation is not just about advancing technology, but about improving access, supporting professionals, and delivering measurable benefits to society.”

The National AI Awards will announce their winners in June 2026.