A long term goal of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been to create machines that can understand spoken and written human language. This capability would enable, for example, spoken language interaction between people and computers, translation between all human languages and tools to analyse and answer questions about vast archives of text and speech. Spectacular advances in computer hardware and software over the last two decades mean this vision is no longer science fiction but is turning into reality. Speech and Language Technologies (SLTs) are now established as core scientific/engineering disciplines within AI and have grown into a world-wide multi-billion dollar industry, with SLT global revenues predicted to rise from $33bn in 2015 to $127bn by 2024. The UK has long played a leading role in SLT and the government has recently identified AI, including SLT, as of national importance. Many international corporations such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft now have research labs in the UK, in part to leverage local SLT expertise, and a new and extensive eco-system of SLT SMEs has sprung up. There is huge demand for scientists with advanced training in SLT from these organisations, most of whom hire only at PhD level, evident in the support for this CDT by more than 30 partners. The result is fierce, international competition to attract talent and supply is falling far short of demand. It is critically important, therefore, to improve the UK's capacity to address this industrial need for high quality, high value postdoctoral SLT talent, to enhance the UK's position as a leader in the field and, in turn, attract investment in AI-related technologies and support UK economic growth. To address the shortfall in PhD-trained scientists we propose a CDT in "Speech and Language Technologies and Their Applications". Our vision is to create a CDT that will be a world-leading centre for training SLT scientists and engineers, giving students the best possible advanced training in the theory and application of computational speech and language processing, in a setting that fosters interdisciplinary approaches, innovation and engagement with real world users and awareness of the social and ethical consequences of our work. A cohort-based approach is necessary in SLT because: (1) the software infrastructure, tools and methods for SLT are highly complex and creating them is nearly always a collaborative endeavour -- a cohort offers an ideal setting to gain experience of such collaborative working (2) PhD topics tend to be narrow and focused on specifics and do not include the broad overview needed in students' later careers -- through cohort training we can expose students to a range of different SLT topics (3) peer learning within and across cohorts is a highly effective way to hand over tools and to teach methodology (4) a multi-year cohort programme allows significant and sustained progression in larger (i.e. multi-student) SLT projects, resulting in better research outcomes and more impact in partnering companies (5) cohort teaching is very attractive to students (6) an extended cohort-based training programme with strong group work and peer tutoring elements allows students with non-standard backgrounds be admitted, helping to promote diversity in SLT. To realise our vision we propose to build on Sheffield's unique strengths in SLT, which include (1) a large team of SLT academics with an outstanding, 30-year research track record in publication, research grant capture and PhD supervision, covering all the core areas of SLT (2) a large group of industrial partners who actively want to participate in the CDT (3) a track record of impact arising from our research, through creating new enterprises or enhancing the activities of existing organisations (4) an excellent research environment in terms of computing and data resources, study and work facilities, and commitment to and respect for diversity and equality.

The UK's creative industries are a national economic strength. Since the turn of the decade, employment, exports and output growth has easily outstripped that in the rest of the economy. Yet, behind this rapid growth lies structural challenges and business uncertainties. And while there has also been rapid growth in academic research on the creative industries, major gaps remain in the evidence base. The PEC will seek to address these and bring about a step change in the quality and quantity of evidence used to inform decision-making with respect to the creative industries. We propose to organise the PEC's work activities in five overlapping workstrands, each led by an expert UK research centre, and coordinated through a Management Board, chaired by Nesta. We indicate our current thinking on priorities below, however in the first year of the PEC's operation we will consult extensively with industry and policymakers on research questions and beyond that keep the PEC's research agenda relevant and inclusive through ongoing engagement and a mixture of commissioning research activities. In workstrand 1 Creative Clusters, led by the Science Policy Research Unit at Sussex University, we want to map and visualise the UK's creative clusters by mining official, open and online data sources, and plugging data gaps using a survey instrument based on that used in the AHRC-funded Brighton Fuse and Creative Fuse North East studies. We will investigate local spillovers between creative and other industries, and conduct foresight activities that will engage industry and policymakers on future opportunities and challenges. In workstrand 2 Skills, Talent and Diversity, led by The Work Foundation, we will track the evolving employment needs of the creative industries. The supply of talent to the creative industries has failed to keep pace with demand - a challenge exacerbated by a lack of diversity. Further, technological, consumer and global trends are driving a shift in production methods and commercial models, creating the need for 'fused' creative, digital and entrepreneurial skills. The PEC will explore how industry, policymakers and educators should respond. In workstrand3 Intellectual Property, Business Models, Access to Finance and Content Regulation, led by CREATe at Glasgow University, we want to develop digital and open data tools that consolidate the evidence on the effects of IP rights on creative production and consumption, changes in business models, and the emerging data economy. We will undertake research on the challenges for the production, distribution and international exploitation of UK AV content in the context of evolving technologies, globalisation and Brexit. We will also research barriers to finance in the creative industries and how policies should address these. In workstrand4 Arts, Culture and Public Service Broadcasting, led by the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University, we want to focus on the opportunities and risks for value creation in creative industries arising from public investment in cultural institutions and public service broadcasters. A priority will be to analyse the challenges arising from the use of digital technologies in the arts, entertainment and news (including platform expansion, data analytics and personalisation, and experimentation), and what policymakers, regulators and funders can do to support the creation of value. In workstrand 5 Creative Industries and International Competitiveness, led by Newcastle University Business School, we will deliver a better understanding of the UK's creative industries in the international economy, including how FDI, immigration and trade influences the spatial distribution of the creative industries. We also propose to improve our understanding of the consequences of Brexit for the creative industries and to inform international trade and investment policies to promote their interests going forward.