AI Minister marks milestone on supercomputer build

^{Above: Minister Narayan signs the steel beam.}

Building work on the site to house the supercomputer – set to be the UK’s most powerful – began in earnest earlier this year. 

Construction milestone

A structural beam that completes the frame of the building was signed by Minister Narayan, EPCC Director Professor Mark Parsons, members of the build team, and University of Edinburgh Provost, Professor Kim Graham, to commemorate a major construction milestone.

The work to build the UK’s Next National Supercomputer has been funded by UK Government through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is delivered as a partnership between UKRI and EPCC, the UK’s first National Supercomputing Centre.  

Discoveries

It is set to empower world-changing discoveries in fields including sustainable aircraft engineering, extreme weather events and drug discovery.

Supercomputing allows researchers to carry out modelling that is simply unfeasible or too costly to do in the real-world, such as simulating heart blood flow, predicting heatwaves, modelling flood defences, and understanding volcanic eruptions – helping to accelerate scientific discovery, improve public services, and enhance the UK's resilience to future challenges. 

Antimicrobial resistance

During his visit to Edinburgh, the Minister met with the School of Chemistry’s Dr Antonia Mey, who explained the ways that supercomputing helps researchers better understand antibiotic resistance, one of the world’s most pressing medical challenges. 

The Minster also toured labs at BioQuarter, speaking with University staff including Professor of Health Informatics and Data Science and Chief Academic Officer of Usher Institute, Julie Jacko, and Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, Professor David Argyle.

The Rt Hon Kanishka Narayan MPUK Government Cabinet Minister for Artificial Intelligence said: "Seeing construction underway in Edinburgh is a powerful reminder that the UK's ambition to build world-leading compute capability is becoming a reality. This Next National Supercomputer will be a vital national asset, giving researchers and companies the power to pursue transformational discoveries on British shores and strengthening our position at the forefront of global science."

Advancing health

The Minister also met researchers, including Professor of Experimental Medicine, Kenneth Baillie, who explained the use of supercomputing to find treatments for Covid-19, and Professor Will Whiteley, Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology, who explained how population-scale data and supercomputing allow for better understanding of stroke and dementia. 

^{Above: Minister Narayan with Provost, Kim Graham; Professor Mark Parsons, Director of EPCC; CEO of Robertson Group, Elliott Robertson, and Alastair Moore, Operations Director, Robertson Construction Central East.}

Access for industry

The UK’s Next National Supercomputer is expected to be up and running in early 2028, providing users from academia and industry with access to the advanced computing power needed to drive innovation, discovery and growth.

Construction work on the building, which is around the size of a large supermarket, is being carried out by Robertson Construction Central East.

Professor Kim GrahamProvost, University of Edinburgh said: "This is an exciting moment for Edinburgh and the UK as the construction on the external build for the Next National Supercomputer nears completion. It has been a privilege to host Minister Narayan at the site, showcasing Edinburgh’s globally-impactful contributions in health innovation, supercomputing, AI and advanced technologies. We look forward to continuing to work with the UK Government to deliver on their priorities, boosting economic growth in our region and across the UK."

Professor Mark Parsons, Director of EPCC, said: "Now that the steel frame has been completed on the building, getting the Next National Supercomputer online feels tantalisingly close. It’s been fantastic to see construction progress smoothly and I look forward to working with our partners at UKRI and the UK Government as we progress towards installation and switch on."

Further information

Supercomputing at Edinburgh