The British government has announced that it will build a new exascale supercomputer that will be 50 times more powerful than its most powerful supercomputer. The Scottish capital Edinburgh has been tipped to be the site of the computer, bringing high-skilled jobs to the area.
According to TOP500 data, the best supercomputer in the UK is ARCHER2, also running in Edinburgh. It has a Linpack score of 19.54PFlop/s and a theoretical peak of 25.80PFlop/s.
To designate it as an exascale supercomputer, the government would either round up the Linpack score or use a theoretical peak, since 19.54PFlop/s times 50 is still a little short of an exascale supercomputer.
Commenting on the advantages of the new computer, Michelle Donelan, Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, said:
This new exascale computer funded by the UK government in Edinburgh will provide UK researchers with an ultra-fast, versatile resource to support pioneering work in artificial intelligence safety, life-saving medicines and clean, low-carbon energy.
It is part of our £900m investment to boost the UK’s computing power, helping us build a stronger union that drives economic growth, creates the high-skilled jobs of the future and unlocks bold new discoveries that improve people’s lives.
The development of this computer is of great significance to the UK, because according to TOP500 data, there is currently only one exascale supercomputer in the world, called Frontier, located in the United States. The government has not revealed how long it will take to develop the computer, but if it can be completed in a short time, the UK will maintain its leading position in the supercomputing club at this level for a long time.
Earlier this month, the government also announced that a new artificial intelligence supercomputer called Isambard-AI would be built in Bristol. It says that when completed it will be one of the most powerful artificial intelligence computers in Europe.
Both machines are part of a £900m investment announced in March to upgrade the country's computing power.
access:
Jingdong Mall