Monday 16 June 2025
The University of Edinburgh will host the UK’s new £750m national supercomputer, reaffirming its role at the forefront of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
The system, one of the most powerful in the world, will be housed at the university’s Advanced Computing Facility and used by researchers and industry nationwide for complex modelling, simulations, and AI-driven analysis in areas such as climate science, medicine, and national security.
The UK's new national supercomputer will be hosted by the University at its Advanced Computing Facility. Image: University of Edinburgh.
The funding, confirmed in the UK chancellor’s Spending Review on Wednesday, follows prime minister Keir Starmer’s announcement of a £1bn plan to scale up Britain’s AI computing power 20-fold.
Supercomputer fuels smart future
The supercomputer will form part of the UK’s forthcoming AI Research Resource, a national network of high-performance computing facilities that the government plans to expand at least twentyfold by 2030, according to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
“This significant investment will have a profoundly positive impact on the UK’s global standing,” said Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh.
“Building on our expertise and experience over decades, this powerful supercomputer will support advancements in medicine, bolster emerging industries, and unlock the full potential of AI.”
Once operational, the new system will vastly outpace ARCHER2, the current national supercomputer also hosted by the university. It is expected to deliver a billion billion operations per second.
“These are immensely complex systems, and we will use everything we’ve learnt over the past 30 years to run the best possible service for thousands of users from across the UK’s scientific and industrial research communities,” said Professor Mark Parsons, director of EPCC and dean of research computing at the university.
Rebooting research with power
The project is expected to support skilled jobs in Scotland and attract further investment through new industry partnerships.
The decision to move ahead with the project marks a reversal of an earlier funding withdrawal. The Labour government restored the £750m commitment after scrapping an £800m pledge made by the Conservative party, citing failures in how the previous government had allocated the funds.
The cancellation drew criticism from tech leaders, who warned of delays and said the UK risked falling behind global peers in advanced computing.
The university also hosts UK’s current national supercomputer ARCHER2.
By the time the original funding was pulled, the University had already invested £30m in infrastructure for the system. Secretary of state for Scotland Ian Murray said the landmark moment will place Scotland at the forefront of the UK’s technological revolution.
“The £750m investment in Edinburgh’s new supercomputer places Scotland at the cutting edge of computing power globally. This will see Scotland playing a leading role in creating breakthroughs that have a global benefit – such as new medicines, health advances, and climate change solutions. This is the Plan for Change – delivering real opportunities and economic growth for communities across Scotland.”
The University of Edinburgh has hosted the UK’s national high-performance computing services for more than 30 years and has been a leading centre for AI research since the 1960s.