NEXT-AI 2026 - NEuromorphiX Technologies for future AI

NEXT-AI 2026 is a dedicated workshop 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.

The NEXT-AI workshop will provide a cross-disciplinary platform for early-to-mid-career researchers, industry innovators, and institutional stakeholders working across the neuromorphic computing landscape. The 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.

The event is designed to:

• Bridge fragmented 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 and opportunities.

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.

The event is organised by the Emergent Photonics Research Centre at Loughborough University in partnership with the UK Multidisciplinary Centre for Neuromorphic Computing, Strathclyde University and LumiAIres Ltd.