New centre joins European supercomputing network
The University’s supercomputing centre, EPCC, is collaborating with another leading UK facility as part of a new Europe-wide network.
EPCC has joined forces with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Hartree Centre to create a new UK centre to advance high performance computing.
The virtual centre – called EuroCC@UK – will form part of a network of more than 30 national facilities across Europe, funded by the European Commission.
Collaborative programme
The network – EuroCC – will seek to advance supercomputing and AI research and innovation across Europe, and enhance connections with industry, academia and the public sector.
It will run collaborative programmes to facilitate the sharing of best practice, expertise and excellence in advanced computing.
UK expertise
The UK centre will focus on improving the use and uptake of AI technologies and high performance computing and data analytics in industry and academia.
Combining the strengths and expertise of EPCC and the Hartree Centre will boost efficiency, streamline knowledge sharing and help establish new ways of working, project leaders say
EPCC hosts a number of facilities, including ARCHER2, the UK’s National Supercomputing Service. The Hartree Centre is home to some of the most advanced computing, data and AI technologies in the UK.
The UK has worked successfully with HPC centres across Europe for many years. Most recently this has been through the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe, where EPCC and the Hartree Centre have represented the UK for the past decade. The new network of National Competence Centres in HPC being established by the EuroCC project continues and grows this successful collaboration with our European counterparts and also the collaboration between EPCC and the Hartree Centre.
Industry engagement
Researchers at the new centre will develop training, software support, and industry engagement programmes. This will provide businesses with essential knowledge and skills to tackle the vast amounts of data created by the rapid digitalisation of industry.
The centre will also focus on helping small companies benefit from these technologies.
The National Competence Centre allows the UK to contribute to and to learn from international best practice in supporting the wider uptake of high performance computing, high performance data analytics and AI by industry and academia. With the increase in UK investment in computing e-infrastructure, the findings will enable the UK to better target our resources to make the most effective use of the new capacity for economic and societal benefit.
EuroCC is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 as part of the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and through national funding programmes within the partner countries.