Sunak Is Gearing Up to Spend £800 Million on UK Supercomputer
- Chancellor Hunt in talks with science department over funding
- British premier wants to cement UK place as science superpower
Rishi Sunak
Photographer: Andy Rain/EPA/Bloomberg
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Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is weighing proposals to plow £800 million ($946 million) into a new supercomputer as the government seeks to make the UK a global leader in science and technology.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s flagship Department for Science, Innovation and Technology — set up in February to reflect his political priorities — has submitted plans to Downing Street for the project, people familiar with the matter said. The supercomputer would provide a financial boost to the domestic tech industry, with UK firms providing computer systems and chips, they said.