New centre will harness advanced technology to process vast amounts of data at incredible speed and achieve breakthroughs faster than ever.
Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash
The University of Birmingham has secured £18 million of funding to create a cutting-edge national computing centre that will help accelerate research and innovation across the UK.
Hosted at the University, the Baskerville National Compute Resource (NCR) will benefit researchers in every discipline - from climate science and healthcare to engineering, social sciences, and the arts.
Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the centre will harness advanced accelerator technology to process vast amounts of data at incredible speed, helping researchers achieve breakthroughs faster than ever before.
This world-class data processing facility places the University of Birmingham at the heart of the UK’s computing landscape. It will provide a sustainable, nationally accessible platform that will help drive research and discovery across all UKRI disciplines.
The centre will benefit projects like developing new digital tools to help decarbonise industry, predicting weather patterns, analysing medical information, designing innovative technologies, and exploring cultural trends.
Professor Rachel O’Reilly MBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Birmingham, said: “This world-class data processing facility places the University of Birmingham at the heart of the UK’s computing landscape. It will provide a sustainable, nationally accessible platform that will help drive research and discovery across all UKRI disciplines.”
Launching in April 2027, Baskerville NCR will offer researchers from across the UK easier access to high-performance computing (HPC). Expert training and support will open doors for research communities that previously lacked the resources to use HPC.
Richard Gunn, Digital Research Infrastructure Programme Director, UKRI said: "By awarding £17.9 million to the University of Birmingham, UKRI is investing in the specialized processing power essential for the future of AI and data-driven discovery. This centre is a vital part of our national effort to build a user-centred ecosystem.
“By lowering the barriers to this high-performance technology, we are ensuring that Birmingham’s expertise helps a broader community of researchers push the boundaries of knowledge and drive growth across the West Midlands and the wider UK."
The facility will be a model of sustainability housed in a purpose-built, water-cooled data centre. Kept at optimal temperatures without needing air conditioning, the centre will dramatically reduce energy use and operating costs, making it one of the most efficient systems in the UK.
Baskerville NCR ...will create opportunities for hands-on learning and professional development for the next generation of digital research specialists. This investment in people and infrastructure is critical to sustaining the UK’s long-term digital research capability.
Baskerville NCR Director Andrew J. Morris, Professor of Computational Physics at the University of Birmingham, said: “Baskerville NCR will be more than a computing resource - it is a national asset driving discovery, innovation, and sustainability for years to come.
“The facility will create opportunities for hands-on learning and professional development for the next generation of digital research specialists. This investment in people and infrastructure is critical to sustaining the UK’s long-term digital research capability.”
Technology uses a graphics processing unit (GPU) alongside a central processing unit (CPU) to significantly accelerate data-intensive applications is now essential across many research areas. GPU technology can process large, complex datasets extremely quickly while offering strong ‘science per watt’ performance.
"The Baskerville NCR Liquid-cooled GPU Compute Resource represents a pivotal step forward in delivering the performance demanded by modern research while dramatically reducing energy consumption. As workloads grow more complex and data intensive, we have a responsibility to innovate in ways that not only accelerate discovery but also minimise environmental impact.
Kate Steele, Director, EMEA HPC/AI at Lenovo said: “By improving efficiency at the core of high-performance computing, we're enabling scientists, engineers, and innovators to push the boundaries of what's possible; responsibly, sustainably, and at unprecedented speed."
Baskerville NCR Deputy Director Kit Windows-Yule, Professor of Digital Particle Technology at the University of Birmingham, said: “This strengthens the UK’s computing landscape. It will deliver faster results, greater energy efficiency, broader access, and a skilled workforce - all of which together, through partnership between academia and industry, can help to accelerate innovation and productivity.”
Carol Sandys, Head of Advanced Research Computing at the University of Birmingham, said: "The service will exploit the broad and deep expertise in the team to deliver great technology and tools and training for researchers. It will also provide opportunities for training, hands-on experience, and professional development for system administrators, research software engineers, and support specialists in the Midlands. This reflects the University of Birmingham's ongoing commitment to investing in this area of critical skills shortage.”
The emphasis on approachability will see Baskerville NCR providing dedicated Research Software Engineers offering training and user support ensuring that researchers of all experience levels can benefit.
Funding for Baskerville NCR is awarded as part of a £38 billion UKRI package that will support research and development in the UK during the Spending Review period ending in the financial year 2029/2030.
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As well as being ranked among the world’s top 100 institutions, the University of Birmingham is the most targeted UK university by top graduate employers. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
About UK Research and Innovation
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the largest public funder of research and innovation in the UK, with a budget of around £9bn. It is composed of seven disciplinary research councils, Innovate UK and Research England. Our mission is to advance knowledge, to improve lives and to deliver growth. We operate across the whole country and work with our many partners in higher education, research organisations, businesses, government, and charities. www.ukri.org
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research)
Professor Rachel O'Reilly is Chair in Chemistry at the School of Chemistry. She leads the O'Reilly Group whose research targets the design, synthesis and application of uniquely derived polymeric materials.
Professor of Computational Physics
Professor Andrew Morris staff profile.
Professor of Digital Particle Technology
Kit Windows-Yule is a Professor of Digital Particle Technology in the School of Chemical Engineering, working jointly with the School of Physics and Astronomy's Positron Imaging Centre.
