Government And IBM Partner Up For £300m Investment In Big Data

The government has announced a major partnership with IBM, ploughing a load of cash into big data research in the UK.

The government committed £113 million back in its autumn statement, money which will be used to develop the Hartree Centre at Daresbury running up to 2020, and IBM has come on board to support this five-year expansion plan, bringing with it £200 million worth of tech and on-site know-how.

That means the total investment to further the cause of big data will be £313 million. Big data, big money…

So what will IBM actually be supplying in terms of its technology? It will be sending 24 researchers to work at the Hartree Centre for starters, and will also provide access to the “latest data-centric and cognitive computing technologies” including the world-famous Watson computer.

IBM also notes it will be involved in the joint commercialisation of any IP assets which are produced in the partnership with the body which runs the Hartree Centre (the Science and Technology Facilities Council).

Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science, commented: “We live in an information economy – from the smart devices we use every day to the super-computers that helped find the Higgs Boson, the power of advanced computing means we now have access to vast amounts of data.

“This partnership with IBM, which builds on our £113 million investment to expand the Hartree Centre, will help businesses make the best use of Big Data to develop better products and services that will boost productivity, drive growth and create jobs.”