NEWS MODELLING AND SIMULATION Microsoft supercomputer to boost Met Office’s weather forecast
The Met Office has signed a multimillion- pound agreement with Microsoft for a supercomputer to accelerate weather and climate forecasting in the UK. The supercomputer – expected to be
the world’s most advanced dedicated to weather and climate – will be in the top 25 in the world and twice as powerful as any other in the UK. Its data will be used to provide more accurate warnings of severe weather, helping to build resilience and protect the UK population, businesses and infrastructure from the impact of increasingly extreme weather. Penny Endersby, chief executive of the Met Office, said: ‘We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Microsoft to deliver our next supercomputing capability. Working together, we will provide the highest quality weather and climate datasets, and ever more accurate forecasts that enable decisions to allow people to stay safe and thrive. This will be a unique capability that will keep not just the Met Office but the UK at the forefront of environmental modelling and high- performance computing. ‘This investment by the UK government
is a great vote of confidence in the Met Office’s world-leading status as a provider of weather and climate science and services, as well as in our national commitment to build a more resilient world in a changing climate, helping build back greener across the UK and beyond,’ Endersby said. The supercomputer will also be used
to take forward ground-breaking climate change modelling, enhance the Met Office’s
LABORATORY INFORMATICS Labforward ramps up Series B financing
Labforward has added €3m to the Series B funding from January, bringing the total funds raised to €8.5m. The majority of the new investment
comes from the Fielmann Family Office. The financing is combined with funding from existing investor IBB Ventures, as well as existing and new business angels invest in the laboratory software company with headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Laboratories have always involved a lot of manual processes that require the presence of an entire laboratory team on site. In the Covid era, the degree to which labs have already digitised or automated these processes makes the difference between being able to safely continue important scientific work or having to choose between a complete shutdown or putting employees at risk for several months. Dr Simon Bungers, co-founder and CEO
of the company explains that there has been increased demand for Labforward software
36 Scientific Computing World Spring 2021
global expertise in climate science. The precision and accuracy of its modelling will help to inform Government policy as part of the UK’s fight against climate change, and its efforts to reach net zero by 2050. The news follows an announcement by the UK Government in February last year that committed £1.2bn to develop this state- of-the-art supercomputer. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:
‘This partnership between the Met Office and Microsoft to build the world’s most powerful weather and climate forecasting supercomputer is a ringing endorsement for the UK’s credentials in protecting our environment, as we prepare to host COP26 later this year. ‘The new supercomputer, backed by a billion-pound UK government investment, will act as a catalyst for unlocking new skills, technologies and jobs right across our economy – from data scientists to AI experts – all as part of our efforts to build back better and create a cleaner future.’ Clare Barclay, chief executive officer
at Microsoft UK, said: ‘The Met Office has long been synonymous with excellence and innovation in our understanding of the impact of weather and climate. To make progress with the ecological challenges we face requires innovation, technology and partnerships. The potential of the deep expertise, data gathering capacity and historical archive of the Met Office, combined with the sheer scale and power of supercomputing on Microsoft Azure will mean we can improve forecasting, help tackle climate change and ensure the UK remains at the forefront of climate science
for decades to come.’ As the Met Office and Microsoft work
together over the next 10 years, it is expected the collaboration will deliver 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 – allowing experts to answer many of the big questions presented by changing climate. The supercomputer will be based in the
south of the UK and will boost employment, apprenticeships, internships, mentoring opportunities, training in digital skills and support for startups.
Met Office and Microsoft announce new supercomputer to support UK weather simulation
Labforward software allows scientists to capture digital data remotely
solutions: ‘Last year’s experience showed lab teams the importance of investing in automation and digital data management to keep a lab running with fewer on-site staff. We’re seeing increased demand for our
solutions which let teams control devices remotely, capture data digitally and let scientists access the data in the cloud or an accessible server for analysis and process optimisation.’
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www.scientific-computing.com
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