Edinburgh to be 'data capital of Europe' with Hewlett Packard Enterprise-powered facility

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is to power a University of Edinburgh data facility that will help hundreds of businesses and public organisations to develop new products and services.

The EIDF is expected to be fully operational by the autumn.

The deal has an expected value of almost £100 million over ten years and will aid a project that has a long-term vision to establish the Edinburgh region as the “data capital of Europe”.

As a hub for innovation, the Edinburgh International Data Facility (EIDF) will enable research and development on initiatives focused on addressing global issues such as food production, climate change, space exploration and genetically-tailored healthcare. It will offer researchers access to high-performance computing and artificial intelligence technologies.

Lee Rand of Hewlett Packard Enterprise said: “HPE is proud to embark on this long-term initiative with the University of Edinburgh, following a highly competitive tender process.”

The EIDF is expected to be fully operational by this autumn.

Mark Parsons, director of EPCC at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are pleased to be working with HPE to deliver what we believe is the only facility of its kind in Europe focused specifically on data-driven regional growth.

“With the Edinburgh International Data Facility, we are combining computing and data resources to create a facility that will allow organisations to use data to innovate throughout their organisations. HPE is uniquely positioned to provide the spectrum of infrastructure and services, as well as the flexibility that this project demands.”

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