INDUSTRY

EPSRC have signed two contracts, worth £113 million, to provide the next generation UK High End Computing service. HECToR (High End Computing Terascale Resources) is the latest national high performance computing service for the UK academic community. It will provide UK scientists with the means to undertake increasingly complex computational simulations across a range of scientific disciplines including climatology, earth sciences, chemistry, materials, fluid dynamics, atomic and molecular physics, plasma physics and nanoscience. The service is expected to operate for six years and have an initial theoretical peak capability of 60 Tflop/s. “HECToR is the latest development in the fast moving and continually evolving area of high performance computing”, said Dr Randal Richards, Interim Chief Executive of EPSRC. “It benefits scientists from all areas of the UK science base ensuring that they are able to carry out cutting edge research with the best possible computer facilities and continue to remain at the forefront of research in this area across the world. Additionally, it maintains the place of the UK amongst the leaders in advanced computational science and engineering.” The contracts are with UoE HPCX Ltd and NAG (Numerical Algorithms Group) Ltd. UoE HPCX Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh. UoE HPCX Ltd will contract and direct the hardware and service provision through sub-contracts to the University of Edinburgh, the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC) and Cray. The computer hardware will be provided by Cray and accommodated and managed by UoE HPCX Ltd at the University of Edinburgh’s Advanced Computing Facility. NAG Ltd will provide computational science and engineering support for users of the system. The project is funded from significant contributions from the OSI’s Large Facilities Capital Fund, established to ensure UK scientists have access to leading edge, large-scale experimental projects and facilities, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) are also contributing financially to the project, emphasising the breadth of science that will be supported. The EPSRC, which is funded by the OSI, has managed the procurement project on behalf of Research Councils UK.