Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News

IN BUSINESS Super-computing boost for business

- BY OLIVER CLAY oliver.clay@trinitymir­ror.com @OliverClay­RWWN

SCI-TECH Daresbury has launched a bid to drive industrial and academic research by harnessing the joint power of high performanc­e computing (HPC) and artificial intelligen­ce (AI.

A spokesman for the science complex said the site’s Hartree Centre supercom

puter hub is being upgraded as part of the programme.

He said it will build on an existing collaborat­ion with global digital firm Atos.

The hardware upgrade is intended to accelerate progress for proof of concept projects in ‘deep learning’ – a type of AI inspired by how the human brain works to make prediction­s, recognise speech and identify images.

Hi g h - p e r f o rma n c e NVIDIA V100 data centre graphics processing units (GPUs) will be installed in the Hartree Centre’s Scafell Pike supercompu­ter

Robin Pinning, Hartree Centre chief technology officer, said he believes will benefit businesses.

He said: “By supporting businesses in the adoption of HPC and AI technologi­es that can enhance the productivi­ty of their people and processes, the Hartree Centre is delivering on its mission to support UK industry in line with the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy.

“Converging HPC and AI is important as it enables better scaling of solutions to address industry challenges, such as producing production-ready ‘digital twins’ of products and practices which save businesses time and money.”

Andy Grant, Atos UK And Ireland’s head of big data and HPC, said: “It is essential that organisati­ons of all sizes can take full advantage of the computatio­nal power offered by platforms like Scafell Pike and, in turn, that the infrastruc­ture is flexible to accommodat­e unique technologi­es and expand to meet demand.

“This means the right solutions for industry can be found as modern technology continues to evolve.”

 ??  ?? The Scafell Pike supercompu­ter at the Hartree Centre at Sci-Tech Daresbury Pic: Trevor Palin
The Scafell Pike supercompu­ter at the Hartree Centre at Sci-Tech Daresbury Pic: Trevor Palin

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