The Liverpool City Region held its inaugural AI summit at Boxpark in the Baltic Triangle
A digital version of the Liverpool City Region could be put into development to prototype new policies that could reshape the entire area. As the region held its first ever AI summit, leaders have shaken hands on the development of Meta Liverpool.
Mayor Steve Rotheram signed a memorandum of understanding at the summit, held at Boxpark Liverpool, between the combined authority, the University of Liverpool and the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council. The agreement is to develop a digital representation of the city region, created from sources such as high-resolution drone footage and transport models, and which allows the impact of policies to be tested before being deployed.
The summit was hailed by government too, with Peter Kyle MP, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, praising how the city and wider region was “once again leading the way.” Keynote speaker, Dr Nicola Hodson, chief executive of IBM UK and Ireland, told delegates how the city region can be at the forefront of innovative change.
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Hailing from Widnes, the former University of Liverpool student, now techUK Deputy President and Department of Science, Industry and Technology board member, said: “We have a huge AI opportunity in the Liverpool City Region and beyond. The economic promise of AI continues to grow as adoption accelerates.
“With a 20% growth rate, Liverpool is the fastest-growing city economy in the UK – and this area is well set to become a leader in responsible AI.” She said IBM was working with the University of Liverpool to drive research on AI, big data and High-Performance Computing and this year the partnership had delivered AI assistants to accelerate chemical discovery.
Meanwhile, the STFC Hartree Centre at Daresbury had helped develop AI that makes breast cancer analysis 25 times faster and AI software that predicts bowel cancer with 92% accuracy. In a video message to the conference, Mr Kyle said the government would be the city region’s champion in developing AI for good.
He added: “Together we can shape the future of this technology to build a fairer, safer, more prosperous society for everyone.” Closing the summit, Mr Rotheram set out how the city region has “always been a place of firsts” and said artificial intelligence was just another example of that.
He said: “Today hasn’t just been about showcasing cutting-edge technology – it’s been about showing the world what the Liverpool City Region is all about: innovation with heart, technology with purpose and a vision of progress that leaves no one behind. Artificial intelligence is a perfect example of this. Not the fancy algorithms – or shiny tech bit – but because, with the right guardrails in place, it can empower us to solve real problems, improve people’s lives, and build a fairer, more equitable society.
“At Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, AI is helping doctors diagnose illnesses faster, giving our kids the best chance of recovery. At the Hartree Centre, we’ve got the UK’s most powerful industrial supercomputer, driving breakthroughs in manufacturing, climate science, and more.”
Mr Rotheram said the city region “has a knack for punching above its weight” and would set trends rather than follow them. He added: “As AI develops, we need to make sure it reflects our values of fairness, inclusivity, and sustainability. AI should empower people, not replace them. It should build trust, not breed suspicion.
“And it should create opportunities for everyone. Together, we will use those ideas to cement the Liverpool City Region as a global leader in ethical, impactful artificial intelligence.”
