Powering UK research and innovation
Our latest supercomputer represents a revitalising step in computing power for UK industry, delivering exceptional performance to help organisations explore and adopt cutting-edge digital technologies. Named after pioneering programmer Mary Coombs, this system embodies our mission to bridge the gap between research excellence and practical industry application, ensuring UK businesses have access to the world-class computing resources they need to gain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital economy.
Computing power for industrial impact
Mary Coombs delivers exceptional performance with 157 compute nodes powered by NVIDIA H100 GPUs, providing 10 times the speed of our previous system whilst using 75% less energy. This state-of-the-art infrastructure accelerates AI applications, data analytics and high performance computing workloads across diverse sectors including healthcare, aerospace, automotive, materials science, logistics, enviromental and many more. The system’s advanced capabilities enable UK businesses of all sizes to tackle complex challenges, from developing new materials and optimising supply chains to improving patient care and advancing climate resilience. By providing access to world-class computing resources alongside expert support, we are making innovation easier and more accessible for UK industry whilst maintaining the highest standards of security and sustainability.
Who is Mary Coombs?
Mary Coombs made history as the UK’s first female commercial programmer, working on LEO (Lyons Electronic Office), the world’s first business computer, in the 1950s. She helped make the first code for automating essential business tasks like payroll and supply chain operations, building the foundation of computerised business technologies that transformed how organisations operate.
Naming with intention was important to us as a centre because we were seeking a namesake who was aligned with our mission and was connected to the foundation of commercial computing. We were also looking for someone whose contributions were initially overlooked yet represented our core values of making advanced computing accessible for industry. Just as Mary Coombs pioneered the practical application of computing to solve everyday business problems, we’re carrying forward her legacy by equipping UK industry with the knowledge, skills and compute needed to adopt advanced digital technologies. Her work bridging the gap between complex computing systems and practical business needs perfectly mirrors our mission today, helping organisations of all sizes solve grand challenges and build a better future through accessible, impactful computing solutions.
“Mary Coombs was a pioneer who helped shape the foundation of modern computing and we’re honoured to name our new supercomputer in her memory. As the first female commercial programmer, her groundbreaking work transformed how businesses operate through automation.
At the Hartree Centre, we continue this legacy by driving innovation in AI, supercomputing and digital transformation. Like Mary Coombs, we believe in the power of technology to solve real-world challenges
and shape the future.”– Kate Royse, Hartree Centre Director
Platform as a Service: lowering the technology barrier
To help lower the technology barrier and make advanced digital technologies accessible to all, we offer flexible Platform as a Service (PaaS) options designed to meet diverse industry needs. We offer self-service access for experienced users to full consultancy support for organisations new to high performance computing. Our service model provides standard onboarding support, customised consultancy packages and dedicated project delivery, ensuring every organisation can benefit from Mary Coombs regardless of their technical expertise. Whether you’re looking to explore AI applications, scale existing workloads or tackle complex computational challenges, our team is ready to support your journey. If you are interested in accessing Mary Coombs please contact our Business Development team to discuss how we can help unlock the potential of advanced computing for your organisation.