Making Europe a world leader in supercomputing
As we go about our day, checking the weather forecast, planning a visit to the doctor or worrying about how to reduce our family’s carbon footprint, we might think that supercomputers do not touch our lives at all. However, the truth is that these computers are already changing them for the better. Supercomputers play vital roles in predicting severe weather conditions, discovering new drugs, speeding up the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and developing more sustainable products. However, no European country is currently capable of developing its own world-class supercomputing resources to fulfil these roles. Enter the EuroHPC JU, which brings together 31 European countries, three private partners and the EU to help make Europe a leader in supercomputing.
Upgrading Europe’s skills and technologies
There are currently five EuroHPC JU supercomputers in operation, in Bulgaria, Czechia, Finland, Luxembourg, and Slovenia. Another three are being deployed in Italy, Portugal and Spain, and further systems planned in the near future. In addition to supporting the development of supercomputers across Europe, the EuroHPC JU is investing in research to develop high-performance computing (HPC) technologies and skills that will reduce Europe’s dependency on foreign manufacturers. In a specially commissioned Projects Info Pack, the EuroHPC JU showcases nine EU-funded projects that are contributing to Europe’s technological and digital autonomy and leadership and the promotion of green computing. The projects demonstrate the Joint Undertaking’s three main objectives: to develop innovative and sustainable HPC technologies; to build applications, algorithms and software that public and private users can run on the supercomputers; and to develop the skills needed to widen HPC use in Europe. The HPCQS project is integrating quantum simulators with classical supercomputers to prepare Europe for a future of quantum computing. EPI SGA2 is developing new low-power processors and accelerators to equip the EU with its own superior supercomputing technology. The software solution provided by the HEROES project will help users submit complex simulation requests to HPC data centres for the creation of more energy-efficient products. In the field of applied computing, the LIGATE project is developing a process that can drastically reduce the time it takes to identify effective drugs for treating an illness – cutting this time down from years to mere days. MICROCARD aims to help patients with heart rhythm disorder by building software that will solve the problems of current numerical electrophysiology models used to understand and treat this condition. In the NextSim project, the aerospace industry is benefiting from HPCs through algorithms that will speed up problem-solving during the research, development and testing of next-generation aircraft designs. EUROCC is creating national one-stop shops to promote and facilitate HPC technologies in different European industries. The FF4EuroHPC project is supporting SMEs that aspire to use HPC services to develop innovative products and services. Last but not least, EUMaster4HPC has set up a new master’s programme to train tomorrow’s HPC experts in Europe. The EuroHPC JU projects play a key role in boosting competitiveness and innovation in Europe and improving the quality of life of European citizens. For more information, please see: Projects Info Pack European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking website
Keywords
EuroHPC JU, supercomputer,supercomputing, HPC, high-performance computer, Projects Info Pack