New £210 million centre launched to advance AI and quantum computing

A five-year programme has been launched to deliver a new £210 million centre designed to give the public sector and industry access to AI and quantum computing.

The Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI) will provide world-leading expertise and access to cutting-edge computing for research.

The money for this new facility has been provided through the government via UKRI with £172 million in investments alongside a £38 million contribution from IBM.

Science Minister, Amanda Solloway, said: “Artificial intelligence and quantum computing have the potential to revolutionise everything from the way we travel to the way we shop.

“They are exactly the kind of fields I want the UK to be leading in, and this new centre in the northwest is a big step towards that.

“Thanks to this fantastic new partnership with IBM, British businesses will have access to the kind of infrastructure and expertise that will help them boost innovation and grow the economy – essential as we build back better from the pandemic.”

By increasing the availability of these technologies to businesses so that they can take advantage of them more quickly, it is hoped that this collaboration will:

• enhance productivity
• create new skilled jobs
• boost regional and national economic growth.

Professor Mark Thomson, Executive Chair of STFC, said: “The HNCDI programme will foster discovery and provide a stimulus for industry innovation in the UK.

"By allowing industry to access a ready-made community of digital experts and cutting-edge technology, it will provide momentum for new ideas and solutions.

"This programme has the potential to transform the way UK industry engages with AI and digital technologies, to the benefit of not just research communities but all of society.”

You can find out more about this story on the UKRI website.