It was exciting to join many of the South West’s movers and shakers today for the official opening of the succinctly-named Environmental Futures and Big Data Impact Lab at the Met Office HPC in Exeter.
The Impact Lab, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, is a three-year project operated by a partnership of seven world-class Devon-based organisations: the University of Exeter, Exeter City Futures, the Met Office, the University of Plymouth, Plymouth College of Art, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and Rothamsted Research with its innovative North Wyke ‘farm research platform’ in Okehampton.
Their mission is to form joint teams of statisticians, data scientists, modellers, computer scientists and manufacturers, including Devon-based SMEs, to find technical solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. Initial challenges already being tackled are flood mitigation, soil regeneration and food security.
It’s such an amazing facility for Devon and is testament to the new hub of brains and energy being nurtured here. Congratulations to all!
