SCIENCE

Representatives of European institutions -- of the Parliament, the Commission and the Council -- as well as representatives of the industry met experts from the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE) on October 5 for an evening event in Brussels to receive first hand information about Supercomputing in Europe. Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes, and Prof. Achim Bachem, chairman of the board of PRACE Council, welcomed the guests at the Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to the European Union. Presentations and discussions reflected the benefits of high performance computing (HPC) as a key technology for modern science and industry and means for further strengthening HPC in Europe in the future.

On the occasion of the foundation of PRACE in summer Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda said: "I warmly welcome the launch of the PRACE supercomputer infrastructure as scientific computing is a key driver for the development of modern science and technology and for addressing the major challenges of our time like climate change, energy saving and the ageing population."

"Science and industry needs computing power and knowledge on the highest level. The collective European effort provided by PRACE will help European researchers to reach out to unique scientific insights and innovative products," expressed Professor Achim Bachem, chairman of the board of PRACE Council.

During the evening experts explained different aspects of the key technology: HPC. Prof. Henry Markram from University of Lausanne presented how supercomputers help to understand the processes in the human brain. Yann Barbaux from the aerospace company EADS underlined the importance of computer simulations for future developments in the aerospace industry. In a short presentation, Dr. Earl C. Joseph from the consulting company IDC suggested measures to strengthen HPC in Europe.