Environmental Intelligence Research Network: SUMMIT-EI Symposium

Speakers (Finalist Teams)

1. CC Informatics, Ltd 

https://www.cc-info.co.uk/ 

Speakers: Rhys Coombs (Director) & Simon Weedon (Data Science Lead)

CCI is an engineering specialist focusing on survey techniques in the natural and built environment. Their AssetScan product is a patent-pending AI technology that can locate structural defects in photographic data, offering a transformative approach to structural analysis. AssetScan integrates seamlessly into digital twin environments, enabling proactive asset management. The technology is also one of the Manchester Prize finalist projects, showcasing its innovative potential and contribution to engineering solutions. 

Rhys Coombs is a chartered engineer with a background in dams and hydropower in the UK and overseas and is a Reservoir Supervising Engineer appointed by Defra in England and Wales. He is one of the founders and directors at CCI

2. EvoPhase, Ltd 

https://evophase.co.uk/ 

Speaker: Jack Sykes (Chief Operating Officer) 

EvoPhase is an innovative technology company delivering cutting-edge solutions for sustainable industrial optimisation. By combining evolutionary AI with techniques like DEM and CFD simulation, EvoPhase empowers industries to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and drive measurable improvements. Their flagship product, EvoPhase Explore, optimizes the geometry of processing equipment to significantly reduce energy consumption and enhance operational efficiency. EvoPhase was selected as a finalist for the inaugural Manchester Prize, recognizing the potential of their AI methodologies to improve manufacturing equipment design. 

Jack Sykes, COO of EvoPhase, is an expert in simulation calibration and industrial optimisation. He leads the company’s operational strategies, ensuring EvoPhase’s technology addresses critical challenges in sustainability and industrial performance effectively. 

3. Loughborough University (TRansport AI innovation CEntre) 

https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/abce/staff/haitao-he/   

Speaker: Dr Haitao He (Reader in Transport and AI) 

Haitao is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow advancing AI technologies for transport. His research focuses on simulation, machine learning, and digital twinning approaches for scenario testing and optimisation to improve traffic management, reduce emissions and enhance transport services. Haitao is also the Director of the TRansport AI innovation CEntre (TRAICE) at Loughborough University. With over 70 academic staff from all nine Schools at Loughborough University, TRAICE uniquely champions a fully interdisciplinary approach to address critical transport challenges. Our vision is to become a leading centre of excellence for advancing smart, safe, efficient, equitable, and sustainable transport.

4. HR Wallingford, Ltd 

https://www.hrwallingford.com/ 

Speaker: Dr. Angela Esposito (Engineer) 

HR Wallingford is an independent civil engineering and environmental hydraulics organisation. They deliver practical solutions to complex water-related challenges faced by international clients. With a 65-year track record of achievement, their unique mix of know-how, assets, and facilities includes state-of-the-art physical modelling laboratories, a full range of numerical modelling tools, and enthusiastic people with world-renowned skills and expertise. Their project Sapphire, an AI-powered tool to improve river and bathing water quality, was selected as a finalist for the prestigious Manchester Prize, highlighting their leadership in sustainable water management and pollution control. 

Angela is an engineer in the Flood and Water Management Group at HR Wallingford, an independent, not-for-profit organisation with world leading capabilities in the water sector. Angela’s expertise covers hydraulic modelling and drainage systems. 

5. Open Climate Fix, Ltd 

https://openclimatefix.org/  

Speaker: Peter Dudfield (Head of Technology) 

Open Climate Fix is a non-profit climate-tech company dedicated to accelerating the energy transition through open-source solutions. They develop AI tools to enhance the efficiency of renewable energy integration into the electricity grid. Their Quartz Solar AI Nowcasting project uses AI to forecast cloud movements, improving solar energy predictions and grid management. This innovation was selected as a finalist for the inaugural Manchester Prize, recognizing its potential to advance renewable energy utilization. 

Peter is Head of Technology at Open Climate Fix, where one of the main projects is to build a solar forecast for NG ESO. He started his career with Siemens Wind power mainly working on an ML image recognition project. He then joined Habitat Energy and helped bring over hundreds of MW of batteries into live market operations.

6. University of Exeter 

https://jfayaz.github.io/ 

Speaker: Dr Jawad Fayaz (Lecturer) 

Jawad is an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the University of Exeter, UK, and an Honorary Lecturer at University College London (UCL), UK. His research focuses on machine learning and deep learning areas with interdisciplinary goals of improving community resilience and sustainability through engineering and environmental intelligence. His work spans a wide array of challenges related to natural and built environments including decision support for complex systems, early warning systems, probabilistic hazard analysis, infrastructural health monitoring, water distribution management, and climate change adaptation strategies.  In collaboration with UKCRIC, UCL, and Northumbria University, his gAIn-Water team is a finalist for the Manchester Prize, recognized for its innovative approach to water management. Combining AI with advanced analytics, the team focuses on predicting future water demands and leakage probabilities in distribution networks. By leveraging node-level explainability, weather data, and infrastructure characteristics, their solution aims to optimize water usage, reduce wastage, and support sustainable water resource management. This project showcases cutting-edge technology driving environmental intelligence.