UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has announced a £76m investment to launch four new National Compute Resources (NCRs).

Major funding for national computing will provide the powerful “digital engines” needed to solve some of society’s biggest challenges, from healthcare to climate change.

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Programme Director Richard Gunn explained: “This investment marks a pivotal moment in our mission to build a world-class, integrated compute ecosystem for the UK.

“By establishing these four National Compute Resources, we are delivering directly on the ambitions set out in the 2025 UK Compute Roadmap and providing the ‘cornerstone’ infrastructure needed to push the boundaries of British research.”

A new era for UK research

This £76m public investment is the first major step in delivering the UK Compute Roadmap, a national plan launched in July 2025 to make the UK a global leader in high-tech research.

While supercomputing was once reserved for niche technical fields, these four new resources are designed for everyone in the research community.

Whether a scientist is mapping the human genome, an engineer is designing greener planes, or a historian is analysing massive digital archives, these resources will provide the processing power they need.

Why is UK compute so important?

“Compute” is essentially the massive digital horsepower required to process data and run complex simulations.

By investing in these four distinct compute resources, UKRI is ensuring that researchers have access to:

• Diverse technology: Different types of hardware tailored to specific research needs.
• Easier access: A simplified system so that more researchers – including those who have never used supercomputers before – can benefit.
• Long-term support: The funding covers both the high-tech equipment and five years of expert service (up to 2031).

Driving growth across critical UK industries

These new resources will work alongside the UK’s existing flagship AI and supercomputing services.

By making this power more widely available, the programme aims to speed up the journey from a bright idea to a real-world breakthrough, driving economic growth and keeping the UK at the cutting edge of science.

Complex compute systems lead the way

The NCRs are led by the following universities:

• University of Birmingham (a GPU-based NCR system)
• University of Cambridge (a GPU-based NCR system)
• University of Edinburgh (a CPU-based NCR system)
• University College London (a CPU-based NCR system)

GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) are specialised for handling many tasks at once. This makes them ideal for modern artificial Intelligence and data-intensive research, such as simulating molecular interactions to accelerate drug discovery and statistical analysis on large datasets.

These compute resources will provide massive parallel-processing power, further boosting the UK’s ability to drive research and innovation.

CPUs (Central Processing Units) are the versatile “brains” of a computer. CPU-based systems are ideal for traditional scientific simulations, engineering calculations, and general-purpose research.

These compute resources will provide high-speed, reliable power for a wide range of academic and industrial applications, from high-level decision-making to modelling structures.

“These resources are designed to be truly user-centred, offering a diverse range of architectures that will be more accessible to a much broader community – from climate scientists to AI researchers,” Gunn stated.

“By lowering the barriers to high-performance computing, we are not just advancing knowledge; we are providing the tools to drive economic growth and solve complex challenges across every sector of our society.”

What’s next?

The four national compute resources are expected to be fully operational for researchers by 2026/27, with at least two launching in summer 2026.

To ensure researchers get the most out of this technology, UKRI will also be launching Community Centres of Excellence.

They will provide expert training and support, helping a wider range of people use these digital tools to advance their work. More details on the Community Centres of Excellence will be shared in the coming months.

Gunn concluded: “This programme represents a step-change in the UK’s compute capabilities, establishing a more accessible and sustainable compute landscape in the UK and enhancing the way we support researchers and innovators.”