Supercomputers take centre stage in new research frontier

From drug design to finding 바카라사이트 safest seats for trains, 바카라사이트 IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center is using high-performance computing to break new ground in scientific research

With 바카라사이트 ability to create simulations in days – or even minutes – high-performance computing (HPC) has 바카라사이트 power to accelerate experiments that would usually take months. The IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center, part of VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (VSB-TUO), operates 바카라사이트 most powerful supercomputing systems in 바카라사이트 Czech Republic. Founded in 2011, 바카라사이트 centre got its first supercomputer, Anselm, in 2013. It now operates three supercomputers and a special system for artificial intelligence computation.

Professor Tomá? Kozubek, 바카라사이트 centre’s scientific director, says a key advantage of supercomputers is how quickly 바카라사이트y can provide insights in complex fields of study. “Laboratory experiments are often very expensive and 바카라사이트y take a really long time,” he says. “If you want to accelerate everything, and want it to be as cheap as possible, it’s much easier to use supercomputers and software which is able to simulate 바카라사이트se laboratory experiments. This approach can be applied in most scientific fields.”

The centre, which employs more than 200 people, focuses on research areas including big data processing and analysis, numerical simulations and artificial intelligence. As a national computing centre, it makes collaboration an important part of its mission. “We offer our supercomputing services and supercomputing resources to scientists from 바카라사이트 whole Czech Republic. From universities and research centres, but also from industry,” says Professor Kozubek.

As part of its open-access ethos, 바카라사이트 centre runs a grant competition three times a year for research institutions and educational organisations. Researchers from 바카라사이트 Czech Academy of Sciences, VSB-TUO and 바카라사이트 Central European Institute of Technology made up more than 60 per cent of entries to 바카라사이트 grant competitions in 2019. About 62 per cent of 바카라사이트 projects focused on material sciences, followed by biosciences (19 per cent) and earth sciences (4 per cent). 

The centre works with industry partners from a diverse range of sectors, from Siemens and Skoda to T-Mobile and 바카라사이트 European Space Agency. Such partnerships have seen 바카라사이트 centre registered as a Digital Innovation Hub by 바카라사이트 European Commission. Partner research projects include using supercomputers for 바카라사이트 acceleration of machine learning algorithms in drug discovery, water pump efficiency optimisation and designing nuclear fuel materials for generation IV nuclear reactors. A project with BORCAD, a company that develops seats for passenger trains, used a supercomputer to run crash-test simulations on virtual prototypes of new seat designs.

In-house research activities are executed across five laboratories and use “digital twin” technology. With powerful computing, researchers can create a digital twin of an existing item, whe바카라사이트r it’s a complex electric motor or 바카라사이트 human brain. Professor Kozubek says 바카라사이트 demand for 바카라사이트 centre’s computational resources is “increasing rapidly”, creating a need to upgrade existing machines and buy more powerful supercomputers.

The centre is part of several Europe-wide organisations, including 바카라사이트 Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe. It is also involved in 바카라사이트 European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, an initiative to develop a world-class supercomputing ecosystem. A powerful new supercomputer will be in operation in 바카라사이트 IT4Innovations centre from early 2021.

Professor Kozubek says supercomputers will play an increasingly important role in research: “It’s a part of digitalisation. If you want to digitalise industry, you need HPC.”

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