A quarter of a million-pound project to develop a next generation software platform for welltech scale-up Frog Systems has begun, with the arrival of the lead scientist from Brazil.

Dr Aasim Khurshid joins Frog Systems from Samsung’s R&D Centre SIDIA in the Amazon, where he was one of the lead researchers working on computer vision and advanced machine learning.

The project, which is sponsored by Innovate UK, will see Dr Khurshid work with Frog Systems to develop the capabilities of its Ashia® software, focusing on interpreting the large-scale data sets it generates and developing algorithms to improve video and content delivery.

He will be supported by a team of academics from the University of the West of Scotland’s School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences and UWS’s pioneering Artificial Intelligence, Visual Communications and Networks (AVCN) research centre. The project’s lead academic is Professor Naeem Ramzan, with Professor Zeeshan Pervez providing academic support.

Paul Jeffrey, Chief Operating Officer at Frog Systems, said: “Our ambition is to be a world leader in wellbeing content delivery. This project, with the support of UWS and the expertise that Dr Khurshid brings to the table, will help us turn what is already a great experience for the people who use our video-led software platforms, into an exceptional one.”

Dr Aasim Khurshid added: “The platform that Frog Systems has developed is ahead of what many other businesses are doing in this space due to the data generated and analytics output. I’m excited to explore how I can work with their team to develop this further using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning on both video analysis and data patterns.”

The 30-month project is being funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, via a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). UWS is #1 in Scotland and Top-5 in the UK for the size of its KTP portfolio.

Dr Stuart Mackay, Senior KTP Manager at UWS said: “UWS is committed to working in partnership with business and we are excited to see our partnership with Frog Systems get underway. The University is committed to supporting and promoting wellbeing across the UWS community, and the Frog service offering resonates with our own organisational truths which celebrate that the University is a great place to work and that we are here for our students.

“We are excited to be involved in a project which is combining cutting-edge technology to support wellbeing – an incredibly important area which we consider an absolute priority at UWS. We look forward to working with the team on the project.”

Dr Stuart Mackay, Senior KTP Manager at UWS

Dr Khurshid spent the past three years with Samsung’s research and development team in Brazil, working on machine learning technologies to improve computer vision and image processing solutions. He completed his PhD on adaptive face and facial landmarks tracking in driving and has degrees in computer and software engineering from universities in his native Pakistan.

Frog Systems creates digital platforms that bring together videos of human stories of resilience, the UK’s most comprehensive directory of support and resources, and powerful analytics, to empower the mental health and wellbeing of 10,000s of people in companies and communities across the UK.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are partnerships between a business, an academic institution, and a KTP Associate. In this case, Dr Khurshid will be employed and supported by UWS, but will work full-time with Frog Systems to bring new skills and knowledge to the business.