Research

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MARS research

MARS will rapidly develop an internationally distinctive research agenda, working with industry, government and third sector collaborators, in the following four real-world application areas:

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Cyber Security

Lancaster University is a sector leader in cyber security research. In 2022 it launched the £19m Data Cyber Quarter and has also been recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre as an Academic Centre of Excellence in both cyber security research and education.

MARS will complement, and expand on, the University’s research in this area by bringing applied mathematical expertise to key security challenges, large scale data analysis, the deployment of AI methods on non-standard data types, and anomaly detection in high-volume data streams.

MARS will work in close collaboration with Lancaster University's Security and Protection Science initiative, and associated partners GCHQ and Naimuri.

Engineering

MARS will work closely with the School of Engineering at Lancaster University, Materials Science Lancaster and collaborate with regional and national industry partners, such as the North West Aerospace Alliance and EDF Energy.

MARS will pave the way for advances in engineering, materials manufacturing, and additive manufacturing by innovating mathematical modelling methods in complex inter-dependent systems.

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Environment

Capitalising on Lancaster University’s leading research in environmental science, MARS will partner with the Lancaster Environment Centre, UKCEH (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) and JBA Consulting.

These academic and non-academic collaborations will provide a foundation for MARS to co-develop advanced mathematical models for understanding the effects of climate on the built and natural environment.

Health

MARS will increase the research capacity of Lancaster University’s Health Innovation Campus (a £41 million flagship investment) by applying AI-based mathematical and stochastic modelling to tackle some of the most pressing issues in healthcare.

MARS will build on existing expertise in outbreak modelling, for example spatial epidemic modelling research during the Covid-19 pandemic. Through collaborations with the NHS, UKHSA (UK Health and Security Agency), and Hitachi Vantara, MARS will tackle infectious disease and population health challenges.

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