Prime Highlight
- Aston University Master’s students have developed a generative AI research platform that is now being actively used by global consulting firm AlixPartners.
- The system significantly reduces time spent on business intelligence research while improving the accuracy and depth of insights for consulting teams.
Key Facts
- The platform uses a combination of generative and agentic AI to gather and analyse large volumes of documents from articles, PDFs, and thousands of online sources.
- This collaboration is the first official project between Aston University and AlixPartners, initiated through the university’s Design Factory Birmingham unit.
Background
Aston University in Birmingham has confirmed that a new generative AI research platform created by its Master’s students is now being used by global consulting firm AlixPartners. The system aims to reduce the time spent on business intelligence research while improving the accuracy and depth of insights delivered to consulting teams.
The university has a strong focus on applied research, and many industry pilots begin inside its Design Factory Birmingham unit. The collaboration with AlixPartners marks the first official project between the two organisations. The consulting firm works with companies worldwide on complex business and operational challenges, making fast and reliable research essential to its work.
The AI platform uses a mix of generative and agentic AI to collect, review, and analyse large sets of documents. Initially built around the retail sector, it compiles data from articles, PDFs, and thousands of online sources. It also uses confidence and accuracy scoring to monitor the quality of information gathered. The aim is to allow AI agents to handle repetitive and document-heavy tasks so that consultants can spend more time on interpretation and decision-making.
Professor Kate Sugden, deputy dean of the School of Engineering & Applied Science, said the project offered students real experience with emerging AI tools while working closely with industry mentors. She noted that the initiative highlights the role of Design Factory Birmingham as a hub for testing research-led ideas with business partners.
Students involved in the project said the work helped them understand how quickly ideas can turn into working systems. They also saw how academic work can directly support commercial needs, strengthening their confidence as they enter the AI and consulting sectors.
