The government has announced a new £36m investment into a supercomputer facility in Cambridge in the hopes of boosting the availability of tools for AI development among researchers and startups.
The DAWN supercomputer at the University of Cambridge is set for a sixfold increase in power, part of the government’s plans to support the growth of an Oxford-Cambridge corridor science and technology hub.
DAWN is part of the AI Research Resource (AIRR), a national programme that offers free access to high-powered computing to British tech companies and researchers.
“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,” said AI Minister Kanishka Narayan.
“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.”
The Technology Department noted that the investment also strengthens the resilience of the UK by diversifying the types of technology that its national infrastructure relies on.
“This investment marks an important milestone for the UK’s AI Research Resource, expanding the power of Cambridge’s DAWN 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,” said Prof Sir John Aston, pro-vice-chancellor for research at the University of Cambridge.
“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.”
