ARIA joins CommonAI to launch Scaling Inference Lab, a £50 million investment to strengthen the UK's AI infrastructure

• The UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) has joined CommonAI as a member, leading and funding the Scaling Inference Lab to improve how AI systems run at scale in real-world data-centre environments.
• Building on CommonAI's collaborative model of shared infrastructure, a dedicated Scaling Inference Lab will enable AI systems to be tested and optimised under real-world conditions, creating a level playing field for researchers, startups and industry across sectors including finance, healthcare and national infrastructure.
• The lab focuses on the operational phase of AI ("inference"), where most computing cost and energy use occurs, with the goal of reducing costs, improving efficiency and increasing reliability.
• This initiative supports the UK's wider Compute Roadmap, which aims to connect the country's world-class research base with national testbeds and real-world use cases so that promising technologies can scale and succeed.

LONDON, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CommonAI has announced the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) as its newest member, supported by an initial £16m grant (part of a total £50m commitment) that will focus on developing the UK's scaling inference capability.

CommonAI is a collaborative engineering and computing platform for AI-enabled start-ups, enterprises, engineers, and academics to develop shared AI infrastructure and foundational technologies. Through its membership model, organisations participate in specific programmes aligned to their priorities, with CommonAI stewarding delivery and operational capability.

As part of its membership, ARIA will lead and fund the Scaling Inference Lab (part of ARIA's wider Scaling Compute programme), with CommonAI establishing and operating a dedicated research and engineering lab embedded within real data-centre environments. This lab will enable AI systems to be tested and improved under real-world conditions by integrating hardware, software and operational design. It will support researchers, startups, scale-ups and companies developing AI systems for real-world use across sectors including finance, healthcare, science and national infrastructure. By improving how AI systems run in practice, it aims to accelerate deployment, support innovation and help create new businesses and high-value jobs across the UK economy.

This marks a significant step forward for CommonAI, moving from concept into live delivery with national backing and collaboration, and showcases how a collaborative shared-infrastructure approach can accelerate innovation and translate ideas into operational capability at pace across the UK AI ecosystem.

The Scaling Inference Lab forms part of a national effort to improve how AI systems operate at scale in the real world, particularly during the operational phase known as "inference", where most computing cost and energy use occurs. Improving efficiency at this stage is critical to managing energy demand and reducing infrastructure pressure as AI adoption grows globally. The initiative also supports the UK's wider Compute Roadmap, and aligns with the UK's Industrial Strategy, which places AI at the centre of national economic development, helping connect research with national testbeds and real-world deployment so promising technologies can scale successfully.

The initiative builds on CommonAI's collaborative model of AI infrastructure. Since launching in September 2025, CommonAI has focused on lowering barriers to advanced computing through shared infrastructure, expertise and foundational technologies delivered via a digital commons. Unlike traditional approaches where organisations build infrastructure independently, this collaborative model accelerates the path from research to commercial use, creates a more level playing field in AI development, reduces reliance on Big Tech, and helps attract investment into the UK ecosystem by lowering development costs and technical risk.

Scaling Inference is the first collaborative engineering programme to launch on the CommonAI platform. Building on this momentum, CommonAI is also establishing a High Assurance programme focused on applications in regulated and mission-critical sectors, with early members already joining following the launch of Scaling Inference.

Sir Andy Hopper, Chairman, CommonAI CIC, said: "The Scaling Inference Lab creates a practical environment where new AI infrastructure can be tested and proven at system scale. It builds on CommonAI's vision of shared infrastructure, allowing organisations to innovate without needing the scale or resources of large technology providers. By improving access to efficient, trusted computing platforms, we can help create a more accessible AI ecosystem and unlock greater economic opportunity across the UK."

Dr Gavin Ferris, CEO, CommonAI CIC, said: "CommonAI is focused on delivery, building shared infrastructure that organisations can use to run and improve AI systems in real conditions. Scaling Inference brings partners from industry, academia and the public sector together around working clusters, open benchmarks, and measurable progress. By creating shared infrastructure that organisations can build on, it supports emerging companies, reduces development risk and helps attract investment into the UK AI ecosystem."

Suraj Bramhavar, ARIA Programme Director, said: "To reduce compute costs by 1000x, we need to move from theory to delivery. CommonAI is the right partner because their DNA is built on translating research into working, industrial-quality foundations. By leveraging their ability to build and operate shared infrastructure in live settings, combined with a proper institutional framework for collaborative research, we're giving startups the rigorous, independent platform they need to prove their hardware is ready for the real world."

About CommonAI

www.commonai.com CommonAI is a collaborative engineering and computing platform launched by Anthemis and Cambridge AI Venture Partners to support the growth of AI-enabled businesses across the UK and Europe. Comprised of a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) and a compute services provider, CommonAI is building a coalition of world-class engineers, AI specialists, entrepreneurs, academics, and investors. It aims to empower early-stage startups and enterprises with access to cutting-edge technology, compute power, and shared IP through a foundational Digital Commons resource. By reducing reliance on Big Tech while catalysing secure innovation, CommonAI helps organisations develop and scale AI solutions safely, affordably, and effectively.

About ARIA

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is a UK R&D funding agency built to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. By empowering scientists to reach for the edge of the possible, ARIA pursues ambitious programmes that catalyse progress and create new communities and industries. Through bringing together scientists and engineers with diverse expertise, the agency breaks down traditional silos to chart new pathways for technological advancement.

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