BIG DATA
Ostrava to host supercomputing Centre of Excellence
- Written by: Writer
- Category: BIG DATA
"The best way to predict your future is to create it." Abraham Lincoln
Supercomputers present an important tool for solving the most demanding research and technology challenges through simulation. To keep the Czech economy competitive, Czech researchers need to have access to supercomputing capacities. In comparison to "ordinary" computers, supercomputers are able to deal with demanding computing tasks, e.g. design optimizations for automotive industry, cancer research, modelling and prediction of floods, or traffic control. Currently, the Czech Republic lacks any supercomputer ranked in world’s top 500 (http://www.top500.org). This situation is to be changed by the project named IT4Innovations prepared in Ostrava. By 2013, the supercomputer in Ostrava aims to be among top 100 of the world.
Objective of the IT4Innovations project is to create a national Centre of Excellence in the field of information technology. Such centre will intensify the concentration of various scientific disciplines and ensure the development of informatics and computing mathematics. "I perceive the Centre of Excellence IT4 Innovations as an important opportunity to make research in the field of IT to become a driving force in the development of advanced technologies, which are essential for the growth of competitiveness of our businesses and quality of life of citizens," says Ivo Vondrák, project leader and Dean of Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava.
The project is prepared by four institutions: VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, University of Ostrava, Silesian University, and Institute of Geonics of Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic. Costs of the project, planned to be implemented from 2010 to 2015, are estimated around 2 billion CZK (circa 75 million EUR). IT4Innovations project applies for funding from the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovations. Supercomputer acquisition is the most demanding part of the project, both financially and technologically.
The IT4Innovations centre will provide the possibility to combine functions of a research centre for academic purposes with needs of the users from the application sector (companies, hospitals, authorities, etc.). Centre’s research plan will include already successful projects, e.g. modelling and simulations of flood situations for the Moravian-Silesian Region authorities (http://floreon.vsb.cz ), or development of car dashboards testing systems for Siemens corporation. Simultaneously, the project will create significant number of new jobs by employing more Czech and foreign researchers. It is also necessary to underline that centre’s infrastructure and the know-how of its researchers will also be available for external users (other universities, foreign researchers, etc.). Project team also anticipates interconnection of the IT4Innovations centre with network of European supercomputers, which aims to fill the gap between Europe and USA in application of supercomputers.
Supercomputers present an important tool for solving the most demanding research and technology challenges through simulation. To keep the Czech economy competitive, Czech researchers need to have access to supercomputing capacities. In comparison to "ordinary" computers, supercomputers are able to deal with demanding computing tasks, e.g. design optimizations for automotive industry, cancer research, modelling and prediction of floods, or traffic control. Currently, the Czech Republic lacks any supercomputer ranked in world’s top 500 (http://www.top500.org). This situation is to be changed by the project named IT4Innovations prepared in Ostrava. By 2013, the supercomputer in Ostrava aims to be among top 100 of the world.
Objective of the IT4Innovations project is to create a national Centre of Excellence in the field of information technology. Such centre will intensify the concentration of various scientific disciplines and ensure the development of informatics and computing mathematics. "I perceive the Centre of Excellence IT4 Innovations as an important opportunity to make research in the field of IT to become a driving force in the development of advanced technologies, which are essential for the growth of competitiveness of our businesses and quality of life of citizens," says Ivo Vondrák, project leader and Dean of Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava.
The project is prepared by four institutions: VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, University of Ostrava, Silesian University, and Institute of Geonics of Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic. Costs of the project, planned to be implemented from 2010 to 2015, are estimated around 2 billion CZK (circa 75 million EUR). IT4Innovations project applies for funding from the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovations. Supercomputer acquisition is the most demanding part of the project, both financially and technologically.
The IT4Innovations centre will provide the possibility to combine functions of a research centre for academic purposes with needs of the users from the application sector (companies, hospitals, authorities, etc.). Centre’s research plan will include already successful projects, e.g. modelling and simulations of flood situations for the Moravian-Silesian Region authorities (http://floreon.vsb.cz ), or development of car dashboards testing systems for Siemens corporation. Simultaneously, the project will create significant number of new jobs by employing more Czech and foreign researchers. It is also necessary to underline that centre’s infrastructure and the know-how of its researchers will also be available for external users (other universities, foreign researchers, etc.). Project team also anticipates interconnection of the IT4Innovations centre with network of European supercomputers, which aims to fill the gap between Europe and USA in application of supercomputers.