The team, who came first in the CIUK 2025 National Supercomputing Challenge, will go on to represent the UK at the International SuperComputing Conference 2026.
A team of talented University of Birmingham undergraduates has claimed first place in the national supercomputing challenge at Computing Insight UK (CIUK2025) - securing their place as the UK's representatives at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC) 2026 in Hamburg.
The six-member team, The Beariables - named after the University's powerful high-performance computing facility, BlueBEAR - outperformed 16 rival teams from leading UK universities in a series of demanding online and in-person challenges held in Manchester on 4 - 5 December 2025.
Bringing together expertise from the Schools of Computer Science and Physics and Astronomy, the students demonstrated exceptional technical skill, innovation, and teamwork to tackle real-world computing problems that push the limits of performance and efficiency.
It’s wonderful to see students from both the School of Computer Science and the School of Physics and Astronomy working together to achieve something truly outstanding. Their success in this national challenge reflects the collaborative spirit and talent that make University of Birmingham such an exciting place to study.
Team leader Harry Vicaradge, along with Adam Wilson, Arthur Baverstock, Jamie Cline, Ewan Hallat, and Sereya Mee, will now take their talents to the international stage at the Student Cluster Competition during ISC 2026, competing against the best student teams from around the globe.
For Vicaradge and Wilson, this victory marks their second major success in 2025, following their podium finish at the University’s own BEAR Challenge 2025, part of UoBXtra.
Professor Andrew Quinn, Director of Education, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences said: "It’s wonderful to see students from both the School of Computer Science and the School of Physics and Astronomy working together to achieve something truly outstanding. Their success in this national challenge reflects the collaborative spirit and talent that make University of Birmingham such an exciting place to study."
As winners, the Beariables also had the opportunity to meet leading figures from the supercomputing industry at CIUK, gaining valuable insight into the cutting edge of high-performance computing and AI research.
Congratulations to The Beariables - flying the flag for Birmingham and the UK on the international stage!
Read more about the team and their experience at CIUK in our Student Story with the Beariables.
Professor of Climate Adaptation
Staff profile page for Professor Andrew Quinn of the University of Birmingham.
Chair in Dependable Systems
Staff profile for Professor Matthew Leeke for the School of Computer Science
