COUNTRY FOCUS : UK the Met Office and Microsoft will be game-changing for how the UK forecasts and protects people from severe weather events such as flooding .
“ Establishing the UK as home to the world ’ s most powerful weather and climate supercomputer will not only help solve vital unanswered questions about our climate , but it will also drive economic growth and unleash highly skilled jobs – from data scientists to weather forecasters – as we build back better through innovation .”
As the Met Office and Microsoft work together over the next 10 years , it is expected that the collaboration will deliver both scientific and technological innovation that will ensure the Met Office and the UK is ready to harness the next generation of supercomputing and data technologies .
This will enable the exploitation of scientific expertise to answer many of the big questions presented by our changing climate – improving forecasting of severe weather and impacts today and in the future .
This will ensure the UK maintains its global reputation for world-leading scientific and technological research and innovation . It is expected that the investment will result in financial benefits totalling up to £ 13 billion ( or £ 9:1 ) for the UK over its 10-year lifespan .
The supercomputer will be based in the south of the UK and will help to bring about employment , apprenticeships , internships , mentoring opportunities , training in digital skills and support for start-ups in the south west and other locations across the UK . It will also deliver research and innovation projects in areas such as data sciences , helping the UK make the most of the huge amounts of weather and climate data that will be available .
In line with Met Office , Microsoft and UK government ambitious commitments to Net Zero , the supercomputing capability will be one of the world ’ s most environmentally sustainable , powered by 100 % renewable energy and delivered through market leading energy efficiency . It is expected that this will save 7,415 tonnes CO 2 in the first year of operational service alone . p
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