The Hartree Centre has given three UK universities £4.5m to become regional SME tech hubs.
Cardiff University, Newcastle University and Ulster University will promote the use of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Hartree Centre’s resources.
Each of the universities will encourage SMEs to use technology including supercomputing, AI, data analytics and visual computing.
Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman, said: “These new hubs will allow us to target support at a local level, while laying the foundations for a larger support ecosystem connecting companies right across the UK”
In collaboration with the three universities, the Hartree Centre will build a country-wide SME tech hub engagement support network.
Each university will receive a third of the total funding pot over the next three years. The STFC already has additional sites based at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh.
“The creation of this hub with its dedicated space and expert personnel will allow us to build upon this partnership to deliver upskilling and digital innovation to all sectors of the Northern Ireland economy,” said Professor Liam Maguire, pro vice-chancellor of research at Ulster University.
In February, work began on the Hartree Centre’s £30m Cheshire supercomputer centre.