GOVERNMENT
U.S. Business Leaders Call for Rapid Expansion of Supercomputing!
Council on Competitiveness Releases Two Pioneering Supercomputing Studies; Announces Plans to Advance Competitiveness through National Innovation Ecosystem -- The Council on Competitiveness convened a pre-eminent group of national business and technology leaders who are calling for more aggressive use of supercomputers. Two new reports released today during the group's annual High Performance Computing Users Conference highlighted the competitive edge generated when industry can access supercomputing resources at universities sponsored by the federal government. The industry participants called these resources "national treasures" in their efforts to gain global competitive advantage. 
Access to costly supercomputers is essential to innovation in many industries, and innovation is the driving force behind American competitiveness in the global economy. However, during a three-year project that studied the use of supercomputers, the Council on Competitiveness identified several barriers preventing fuller use of the technology. "The Council on Competitiveness believes the nation that out computes is the nation that out competes," said Deborah L. Wince-Smith, President of the Council on Competitiveness. "High performance computing is undervalued in many regions of the country, and public and private sector organizations are frequently unaware of the supercomputing resources available within their own economic regions." The untapped potential of supercomputers was confirmed in two studies released during the gathering of technology leaders. Based on this research, Wince-Smith announced the Council on Competitiveness is developing a plan for a national "innovation ecosystem" that will expand supercomputer collaboration between industry, government and higher education. One study evaluated industrial partnerships with universities currently sponsored by the Department of Energy, through its National Nuclear Security Administration's Academic Strategic Alliance Program. Industry participants reported access to these university supercomputing centers and their experts generated breakthroughs needed to create superior products for the private sector and government. Industry participants included energy, aerospace, automotive and software companies. The other study evaluated a National Science Foundation (NSF) program that helped U.S. businesses leverage university supercomputing resources supported by the federal government. Forty businesses that partnered with NSF-funded supercomputing centers around the country participated in the study. All of the businesses reported the partnerships helped boost innovation, which the companies said was critical to increasing their competitive edge in the global economy. The Council on Competitiveness worked with IDC, one of the world's top information technologies research firms, to complete the studies. The Council on Competitiveness High Performance Computing Users Conference was co-hosted by the DOE Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration, as well as the National Science Foundation. This was the third gathering of nationally recognized business and technology innovators convened by the Council on Competitiveness. Participants included university presidents, senior technology leaders in the federal government, and the executive officers of some of the nation's leading businesses, including Microsoft, Pratt & Whitney, Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and DreamWorks Animation.
Access to costly supercomputers is essential to innovation in many industries, and innovation is the driving force behind American competitiveness in the global economy. However, during a three-year project that studied the use of supercomputers, the Council on Competitiveness identified several barriers preventing fuller use of the technology. "The Council on Competitiveness believes the nation that out computes is the nation that out competes," said Deborah L. Wince-Smith, President of the Council on Competitiveness. "High performance computing is undervalued in many regions of the country, and public and private sector organizations are frequently unaware of the supercomputing resources available within their own economic regions." The untapped potential of supercomputers was confirmed in two studies released during the gathering of technology leaders. Based on this research, Wince-Smith announced the Council on Competitiveness is developing a plan for a national "innovation ecosystem" that will expand supercomputer collaboration between industry, government and higher education. One study evaluated industrial partnerships with universities currently sponsored by the Department of Energy, through its National Nuclear Security Administration's Academic Strategic Alliance Program. Industry participants reported access to these university supercomputing centers and their experts generated breakthroughs needed to create superior products for the private sector and government. Industry participants included energy, aerospace, automotive and software companies. The other study evaluated a National Science Foundation (NSF) program that helped U.S. businesses leverage university supercomputing resources supported by the federal government. Forty businesses that partnered with NSF-funded supercomputing centers around the country participated in the study. All of the businesses reported the partnerships helped boost innovation, which the companies said was critical to increasing their competitive edge in the global economy. The Council on Competitiveness worked with IDC, one of the world's top information technologies research firms, to complete the studies. The Council on Competitiveness High Performance Computing Users Conference was co-hosted by the DOE Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration, as well as the National Science Foundation. This was the third gathering of nationally recognized business and technology innovators convened by the Council on Competitiveness. Participants included university presidents, senior technology leaders in the federal government, and the executive officers of some of the nation's leading businesses, including Microsoft, Pratt & Whitney, Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble and DreamWorks Animation.