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Centre for Industry 4.0 and Blockchain Research

Centre for Industry 4.0 and Blockchain Research

Exterior shot of Cardiff Metropolitan University's new building, highlighting its contemporary architecture and integration with the campus environment. Exterior shot of Cardiff Metropolitan University's new building, highlighting its contemporary architecture and integration with the campus environment.
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Centre for Industry 4.0 and Blockchain Research

The Centre for Industry 4.0 and Blockchain Research (CI4BR) is a leading research centre for innovation.

Part of the Cardiff School of Technologies, CI4BR drives advancements in the integration of emerging technologies. These include generative AI, computer vision, blockchain and digital twin to facilitate the digital transformations of the industry and healthcare sectors (also known as Industry 4.0 and Healthcare 4.0).

CI4BR’s pioneering work has garnered significant recognition, including the Wales Tech Award for Best Blockchain Application and the prestigious Longitude Prize on Dementia.

Research from CI4BR has also been shortlisted for the Innovate UK KTP Award and the Alzheimer’s Society’s Involvement Award, underscoring its commitment to driving innovation and creating tangible societal impact.

Areas of expertise

  • Generative AI
  • Computer vision
  • Natural language processing (NLP)
  • Advanced data analytics including topological data analysis (TDA)
  • Complex data visualisation
  • Heterogenous data interoperability
  • Dynamic system modelling
  • Health informatics and electronic health records (EHR)
  • AI in healthcare
  • Distributed ledger technology (for example, blockchain)
  • Digital twin
  • Decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO)
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Financial technology (FinTech)
  • Central bank digital currency (CBDC)
  • Post quantum cryptography (PQC)

Research themes 

Through funding like Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), Welsh Government’s SMART Partnerships funds, CI4BR has undertaken several academia-industry partnership projects with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from different sectors.

These projects address the operational automation, efficiency enhancement, cost savings and technological adaptation challenges.

It has also collaborated with global industry leaders, including Airbus and Google DeepMind, as well as government organisations like Companies House, to deliver impactful solutions.

CI4BR has undertaken several high-impact projects in collaboration with the National Health Service (NHS) and social care providers like Age Connects Cardiff & the Vale. These projects focused on non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, dementia and autism.

CI4BR has also developed groundbreaking tools to address socioeconomic challenges, including solutions to improve medication adherence, virtual peer-to-peer support networks for dementia care and remote monitoring systems for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Find more information on MemoryConnect.org.

CI4BR is the first of its kind research centre in Wales, equipped with a full-stack node and crypto wallet settings to undertake distributed ledger-based tools and app development.

It conducts research on crypto forensic, central bank digital currency (CBDC) and decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs).

The centre is also member of the British Blockchain Association and participated in the UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliament Group (APPG) for Blockchain Technologies committee meetings.

BI4BR has extensive expertise with image analysis, particularly medical image (MRI and CT) analysis using state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms.

BI4BR pioneered the establishment of the Applied Data Science – BSc (Hons) Degree Apprenticeship in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It also established the Google DeepMind Research Ready Programme, a studio-based summer internship in collaboration with the Google DeepMind and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Key staff

  • Dr Imtiaz Ali Khan (Director) – Data modelling and analysis; data interoperability; blockchain; digital twin
  • Dr Angesh Anupam – Dynamical systems modelling; climate modelling
  • Dr Imtiaz Hussain Khan – Natural language processing; large language models; cognitive models; machine learning
  • Dr Sandeep Singh Sengar – Computer vision; artificial intelligence; image processing
  • Dr Priyatharshini Rajaram – Data science; AI in healthcare; medical image analysis
  • Dr Muhammad Azizur Rahman – Health informatics; machine learning and AI; EHR; network modelling and simulation tools (NS/NAM/Glomosim); network ontologies
  • Dr Aman Muhammad – Mobile network; algorithm optimisation; data analysis; distributed computing
  • Dr Ali Shahaab (Early Career Representative) – Blockchain; crypto forensic; decentralised autonomous organisation

PhD scholars

Associate members

Collaborators

Funders

Publications

View the latest publications from the Centre for Industry 4.0 and Blockchain Research.

Accolades

Best Blockchain Application Award 2024 (CI4BR)
Receiving the Best Blockchain Application Award at the Wales Technology Awards 2024 ceremony.

Find out more

Visit the Centre for Industry 4.0 and Blockchain research explorer page to learn more about its members, research outputs, collaborations and how its work contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.