The visit reinforced the growing collaboration between BriCS and HPE in advancing high-performance computing (HPC) and AI innovation in the UK.
The University, recently crowned 'AI University of The Year' at the National AI Awards, received an unprecedented £225m Government investment to create Isambard-AI which has been assembled in record time thanks to its Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS) team and their partners at HPE.
Isambard-AI, situated at the National Composites Centre (NCC), is set to become the UK's fastest and most powerful supercomputer, purpose-built for AI research following completion in Summer 2025. It will offer capacity never seen before in the UK for researchers and industry to harness the huge potential of AI in fields such as robotics, big data, climate research and drug discovery.
The visit included high-level discussions on the progress of the Isambard project and potential future collaborations in response to recent UK government initiatives outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan. HPE were particularly impressed by the unprecedented pace of the Isambard-AI build compared to traditional supercomputing projects, as well as the project's pioneering energy-efficient design and commitment to sustainability.
Built in a climate-controlled modular data centre being fully installed over the winter of 2024, phase one of Isambard-AI is already up and running. Current AI projects include understanding what role the inflammation of blood vessels plays in heart disease, using camera tracking to determine the health of livestock on farms and producing groundbreaking new vaccines.
"HPE is excited to be part of a project that is not only pushing the boundaries of AI and supercomputing but also setting new standards for innovation and efficiency in the field," said Trish Damkroger. "The progress made at Isambard is truly remarkable, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with BriCS to drive forward the next generation of HPC and AI capabilities."
Director of BriCS, Professor Simon McIntosh-Smith said, "BriCS are delighted to be working in such close partnership with HPE on this groundbreaking project for the UK. There’s something quite special about standing on the Isambard site and being able to physically see the methods and planning that has gone in from both sides. We’re excited for what the future holds for Isambard and our key partner in HPE."
The visit reaffirmed the strong collaboration between BriCS and HPE, reinforcing their shared commitment to delivering cutting-edge computing solutions that will support scientific discovery, industry advancements, and national AI initiatives in the years to come.
From summer 2025, users will also be able to access Isambard-AI phase 2 while the system is being tested, which has an additional 5,280 Nvidia Grace Hopper (GH200) superchips.
Researchers and startups are now invited to express interest in accessing Isambard-AI to run large-scale projects. Read more about expressing interest here.