Dr. Eghbal Rahimikia’s project, FinText, has been selected for early access to Isambard-AI - the UK’s most powerful supercomputer dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence (AI) research.
Led by Dr. Rahimikia as principal investigator (PI), the project is carried out in collaboration with the Department of Mathematics at UCL, which serves as Co-PI. The award from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) provides over £200,000 worth of high-performance computing resources over the next few months, enabling large-scale experimentation and advanced model development.
As part of this initiative, Dr. Rahimikia and his team are contributing to the national AI infrastructure by testing the system and providing feedback to support future improvements. Their work will help ensure Isambard-AI is ready for broader research access across the UK in the future.
FinText focuses on developing and testing large-scale foundation models for time series forecasting - with a strong emphasis on applications in business and finance. This opportunity places the Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) at the forefront of AI innovation.
About Isambard-AI
Hosted at the National Composites Centre by the University of Bristol, Isambard-AI is a central component of the UK's AI Research Resource (AIRR). Backed by a £225 million government investment, Isambard-AI reflects the UK's ambition to become a global leader in AI. You can read more about Isambard-AI on the NVIDIA website.
This large-scale initiative supports a number of strategic goals, particularly relevant to business schools.
Improving scalability of research ideas
Business research is increasingly data-driven, but many AI models demand computing power far beyond university resources.
Existing infrastructure in The University of Manchester currently supports small-to-mid scale projects - for example, the Computational Shared Facility (CSF) or the Bede server. However, Isambard-AI unlocks the ability to experiment more widely - at the scale required for today's deep learning and generative AI models.
This opens doors to novel applications in forecasting, financial modelling, operations, analytics, and more.
Helping train the next generation of AI-ready business leaders
Business schools must now prepare students and researchers to work in a world where AI is central. Access to computational resources allows AMBS to:
- Train interdisciplinary researchers who can combine deep business knowledge with computational expertise
- Support AI fluency across teaching and research - this ensures students are equipped to critically evaluate, deploy, and manage AI technologies
- Encourage experiential learning - students and academics can work on real, cutting-edge AI projects with tangible business impact.
Advancing ethical and responsible AI in business
The development of powerful AI models also raises important questions in business around:
- Transparency
- Fairness
- Accountability.
Access to Isambard-AI enables AMBS researchers to explore and test responsible AI frameworks at scale. It allows the School to contribute to discussions on how to build trustworthy AI systems aligned with social and economic values.
Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship
By accelerating the development of new AI-driven tools, platforms, and decision-support systems, supercomputing access can directly support business innovation and entrepreneurship. These breakthroughs can lead to:
- Spinouts
- Partnerships
- Industry collaborations.
Enhancing international visibility and research impact
Accessing a new generation of AI servers can enhance AMBS's global reputation by helping the School to:
- Secure additional funding
- Attract top-tier talent
- Develop more opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Not only this, but it can position the School as a thought leader at the intersection of business and AI.
Moving forward with AI
The rapid advancement of AI technologies means that opportunities and competitive advantages can come and go very quickly - within months rather than years. This is particularly true with foundation models and generative systems.
Business schools that move too slowly risk falling behind, both in research relevance and talent development. While initiatives like Isambard-AI are a significant leap forward, fully capitalising on them requires agility and proactive decision-making.
To stay competitive, institutions must:
- Streamline internal processes
- Adopt a more responsive approach to technology integration, resource allocation, and curriculum development.
These developments reflect a broader shift in the role of business schools within the AI ecosystem. As advanced technologies become central to decision-making, innovation, and strategy, institutions must evolve to stay relevant. They must:
- Embrace cutting-edge tools
- Promote interdisciplinary research
- Embed AI literacy throughout their programmes.
With access to powerful computing resources, national collaborations, and real-world applications, business schools are uniquely positioned to lead. They're able to not only drive academic excellence, but influence how AI can transform business and society.