In a boost for UK innovation, the University of Cambridge’s supercomputer is set to get six times more powerful thanks to a £36 million funding injection.
The investment builds on Cambridge's position at the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge corridor – one of Europe's most important centres for science, technology and innovation, home to globally-leading universities, research institutions, and fast-growing tech companies.
Already the supercomputer is having a real-world impact, having supported over 350 projects. Scientists have been using it to develop AI tools that could speed up personalised cancer vaccines, working out exactly which parts of a tumour the immune system needs to target. Others are using it to better understand the changing environment.
The extra AI power computing power will kick in as early as spring and will help create everyday benefits like:
• Faster, more accurate tools that help doctors spot diseases much earlier
• Smarter technology that cuts waiting times and makes public services easier to use
• Better climate modelling to help communities prepare for extreme weather.
Professor Sir John Aston, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, University of Cambridge, said: "This investment marks an important milestone for the UK’s AI Research Resource, expanding the power of Cambridge’s supercomputer and strengthening our national computing ecosystem.
“It will give researchers, clinicians and innovators the tools they need to drive breakthroughs that improve public services. The University of Cambridge is proud to work with industry leaders such as Dell to ensure world class compute is available to those tackling society’s most complex challenges, helping the UK shape the next generation of AI for public good.”
Government Minister for AI Kanishka Narayan, said: “The UK is home to world-class AI talent, but too often our ambitious researchers and most promising start-ups have been held back by a lack of access to the computing power they need.
"This investment changes that – giving British innovators the tools to compete with the biggest players and develop AI that improves lives, from spotting diseases earlier to helping communities prepare for extreme weather, right across the country."
• £36 million investment to increase the AI Research Resource supercomputing capacity at Cambridge sixfold by spring 2026.
• More cutting-edge AI chips will be available free of charge to UK researchers and start-ups.
• The supercomputer is already helping to deliver breakthroughs in areas like healthcare and environmental modelling.
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