Data facility names tech giant Hewlett Packard as supplier

The Edinburgh International Data Facility will be hosted by University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Computing Facility (pictured)

The American information technology multinational, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has announced that it is to power the Data-Driven Innovation initiative’s Edinburgh International Data Facility (EIDF).

Hewlett Packard Enterprise will deliver an end-to-end infrastructure with high-performance computing and artificial intelligence solutions. The deal will help 1,000 public, private, and non-profit organisations use R&D and other data-driven programmes to develop products and services.

Mark Parsons, director of the EIDF at the University of Edinburgh, said, “With the Edinburgh International Data Facility, we are combining computing and data resources to create a facility that will allow organisations to use data to innovate. HPE is uniquely positioned to provide the spectrum of infrastructure and services, as well as the flexibility that this project demands.”

EIDF will support the DDI’s four innovation ‘hubs’ – Bayes Centre, Edinburgh Futures Institute, Usher Institute, Easter Bush Campus, and the National Robotarium – to enable R&D on initiatives associated with global issues including food production, climate change, space exploration, and genetically tailored healthcare.

EIDF will give researchers access to the high-performance computing and AI technologies, supporting them to apply analytics to modelling and simulation to increase the accuracy of results and efficiency of time-to-discovery.