Man AHL's collaboration with the University of Oxford — the Oxford-Man Institute — will expand its focus on machine learning and data analytics and become part of the university's department of engineering science.
Starting Aug. 1, OMI researchers will be joined by the department of engineering science's machine learning group — about 20 researchers. The OMI's base in Oxford, Eagle House, is expected to become a hub for machine learning, which gives computers the ability to learn and discover patterns without being programmed in any way, and data analysis.
“We found over time that where collaboration was most fruitful was in the machine-learning field,” said Sandy Rattray, London-based CEO of Man AHL, in a telephone interview. “We were looking to have a simpler structure. Until now (OMI) had been a stand-alone institute. The university was also keen to have the institute as part of a department. We were particularly excited about machine learning. We have got quite a lot of benefit out of that so far. We have employed machine-learning strategies here in our funds for two or three years. It is pretty real here.”
Mr. Rattray added that officials at Man AHL believe machine learning “is a field that will be a very significant part of the way that we conduct research in the coming years.”
The OMI was established in 2007. Man AHL has $19.2 billion in assets under management.
