• Swindon & Wiltshire Tech
• Monday July 28 2025

UK’s most powerful supercomputer launches in Bristol

The UK’s most powerful supercomputer has been switched on in Bristol.

Technology secretary Peter Kyle booted up the £225 million Isambard-AI supercomputer as the government unveiled fresh artificial intelligence plans.

The computer will become part of the UK’s public AI computing capacity, which the government says will perform tasks from bringing down NHS waiting lists to developing new tools to tackle climate change.

The supercomputer, which is built and run by the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS), is based at NCC on the Bristol and Bath Science Park.

The University of Bristol was chosen to host the new national supercomputer research facility thanks to its long history of world-leading AI research and expertise in high performance computing.

Professor Evelyn Welch, vice-chancellor and president of the University of Bristol, said: “This is a pivotal moment for AI in the UK and the University of Bristol is proud to be at the heart of it. We have a long history of AI research, innovation and education and now we are home to the UK’s most powerful AI supercomputer.”

Professor Simon McIntosh-Smith, director of the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing, said: “Isambard-AI places Bristol at the centre of the AI revolution, spearheading AI innovation and scientific discovery in important areas such as drug discovery and climate research.”

Peter Kyle said: “Today we put the most powerful computer system in the country into the hands of British researchers and entrepreneurs. Isambard-AI doesn’t just close the gap with our international competitors – it propels the UK to the forefront of AI discovery.

“With our AI Research Resource now fully up and running, the UK is home to the raw computational horsepower that will save lives, create jobs, and help us reach net zero ambitions faster.

“This is our Plan for Change in action, building the compute infrastructure that makes Britain a magnet for the world’s brightest minds and boldest ideas. The breakthroughs delivered by the AI Research Resource will define the next decade, from AI tools that spot cancer earlier, to materials that help make clean energy cheaper than fossil fuels.”

Isambard-AI is the 11st fastest supercomputer in the world and 9th for public supercomputing. It is 100,000 times faster than a typical laptop and weighs about 150 tonnes – the same as 25 African elephants.

It has more computing power than all other UK supercomputers combined.

Latest: Bristol construction firm recognised for landmark supercomputer build