Coordinating the UK’s large-scale computing ecosystem

The report examines the interdependencies between hardware, software and skills in relation to supercomputers and how they help solve the key industrial and scientific problems of our time.

Public health systems, finance, research and business are heavily underpinned by our access to computing capability. Large-scale computing is an essential tool for solving industrial and scientific problems. Innovations in artificial intelligence, optimisation of energy networks, data processing and simulations will lead to a whole host of benefits including biological understanding, building resilience to external shocks like COVID-19 and supporting medical developments.

World-class computing capability can benefit research, product development, prototyping and testing. All these can enhance the UK’s competitiveness in turn helping us achieve ambitious ‘moonshot’ challenges, such as zero emission air travel.

Commenting on the report, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance said:

This report sets out the building blocks required to create a world-class computing ecosystem so the UK can realise the true potential of large-scale computing and harness this technology to strengthen its position as a science superpower.