A new era of digital innovation has arrived in the UK with the launch of the Mary Coombs AI supercomputer, a state-of-the-art system designed to accelerate breakthroughs in science, medicine, and clean energy.
Housed at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Hartree Centre in Daresbury, the supercomputer will give businesses and public sector organisations access to unparalleled computing power and expertise.
Named in honour of Mary Coombs, the UK’s first female commercial programmer, this next-generation AI supercomputer represents a landmark in British computing history.
It has been installed within STFC’s brand-new £30m Supercomputing Centre, located at the Daresbury Laboratory in the Liverpool City Region.
Professor Kate Royse, Director of the STFC Hartree Centre, highlighted the significance of the technology: “Here at the Hartree Centre, our new Mary Coombs supercomputer can provide UK industry with the computing power, expertise and skills needed to turn ambitious ideas into real-world solutions.
“From drug discovery to climate research, businesses can process vast and complex datasets faster and more efficiently than ever before, without needing in-house supercomputing or AI expertise.
“By giving industry access to world-class AI and high-performance computing, and to the leading skills of our Hartree Centre scientists, Mary Coombs can help businesses innovate with confidence, accelerate research, and bring solutions to market more quickly, delivering tangible benefits for our economy and society.”
Powering discovery at unprecedented speed
The Mary Coombs system is a technological powerhouse. Delivering an incredible 24.41 petaflops of performance – or 24.41 quadrillion calculations per second – it offers 10 times the performance of its predecessor, Scafell Pike, while operating with improved energy efficiency.
To put that in perspective, a human performing one calculation per second would need over 773 million years to achieve the same result.
Designed specifically for AI workloads, machine learning, and advanced visualisation, this GPU-based AI supercomputer will dramatically speed up research and innovation across multiple industries.
From developing new medicines and predicting climate change to advancing clean energy solutions, its capabilities promise to transform how complex problems are solved.
A catalyst for UK productivity and growth
The Mary Coombs supercomputer is part of the £210m Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI), a strategic collaboration between STFC and IBM.
The programme supports UK businesses and the public sector in adopting emerging technologies such as AI, quantum computing, and data analytics – key tools for boosting productivity and competitiveness on a global scale.
By turning cutting-edge research into real-world applications faster than ever before, the Mary Coombs system is expected to have a profound impact on the UK economy.
It will empower small businesses as well as large enterprises to harness the full potential of AI and advanced computing technologies that are rapidly reshaping industries worldwide.
Paul Vernon, Head of STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, added: “The launch of the STFC Supercomputing Centre and Mary Coombs marks an important milestone for UK innovation, giving businesses access to world-class tools and expertise to turn ideas into reality.
“This new facility is an important national asset for research and innovation, strengthening the North West’s position as a hub for advanced technology, digital skills and high-value jobs.
“By giving businesses the infrastructure to explore and apply advanced digital technologies, we’re helping to build a stronger, more innovative digital economy and ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of global research and development, driving growth and opportunity across the nation.”
Driving the UK’s AI future
The launch of the Mary Coombs AI supercomputer also aligns with the UK Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, a national initiative to strengthen the country’s position as a global leader in artificial intelligence.
As the UK’s only supercomputing centre dedicated to industrial collaboration, the Hartree Centre continues to drive digital innovation and scientific progress.
With Mary Coombs now online, the nation’s ambitions for AI-driven growth, sustainability, and discovery are closer than ever to becoming reality.
