NEXT-AI 2026

NEUROMORPHIX TECHNOLOGIES FOR FUTURE AI

Loughborough University, 8-10 April 2026

NEXT-AI 2026 is a dedicated workshops on neuromorphic technologies and hardware AI in the UK. This 3-day event will bring together early- and mid-career researchers, industry innovators, start-ups, funders, and policymakers to explore the neuromorphic development stack — from novel materials and platforms to algorithms and real-world applications.

NEXT-AI will provide a cross-disciplinary platform for researchers, industry innovators, and institutional stakeholders working across the neuromorphic computing landscape. Our scope spans the full stack of neuromorphic technologies, from emerging materials and photonic/electronic platforms, through algorithmic co-design, to applications in AI and beyond.

Workshop mission

Bridge diverse communities: photonics, electronics, AI/ML, neuroscience-inspired computing, and end-user domains
Highlight UK capabilities while embedding them in an international context
Empower early-career researchers by giving them visibility, networking opportunities, and leadership roles
Engage industry and start-ups to identify real-world challenges, application areas, and investment opportunities
Interface with funders and policy makers to align community efforts with national priorities

By bringing together diverse expertise, NEXT-AI will act as a catalyst for collaboration, seeding new partnerships and mapping the emerging landscape of neuromorphic technologies for AI

Sessions at a glance

Session I: UK neuromorphic landscape, funding and KTP opportunities
Session II: NEXT electronics and memristors
Session III: NEXT optoelectronics and photonics
Session IV: NEXT in the real world: industrial applications from startups to corporate
Session V: NEXT algorithms and co-design
Session VI: NEXT-generation platforms: from quantum to biological systems

Program Highlights

Venue

The workshop is hosted by the Emergent Photonics Research Centre at Loughborough University

Organisers

Juan Totero Gongora - Emergent Photonics Research Centre, Loughborough University
Nataliia Manuilovich - Aston University, UK Neuromorphic Computing Centre
Xavier Porte Parera - University of Strathclyde, UK Neuromorphic Computing Centre
Shirin Dora - Computer Science Department, Loughborough University
Giulia Marcucci - CEO of LumiAIres Ltd
Robin Rainier (Coordinator) - Emergent Photonics Research Centre, Loughborough University