Rothamsted Research has recently been awarded £4m by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to upgrade its capabilities in high-performance computing.

The investment will help the research facility build a stronger foundation for data-driven science and artificial intelligence (AI).

It is scheduled to be up and running by March 2025 and aims to bring significant advancements to “digital twin” pilot studies.

Prof Chris Baker, Rothamsted’s head of intelligent data ecosystems, says: “The infrastructure will enable us to build a solid foundation of diverse AI and machine learning capabilities.

“This will enable faster and more cost-effective data analysis as well as increased throughput.

“The research needed to engineer the UK’s transition to more sustainable farming systems is generating millions of new data points from our long-term studies.

“Translating this data into accurate predictions is the journey we are on. AI is a crucial part of this and the new high-performance computing will provide the requisite power.

“We need to be able to offer the farming community reliable and timely solutions to the sustainability challenges they face.”