H2020: European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking Annual Work Plan 2019: HPC Competence Centres

The take-up of HPC services by industry and SMEs, academia and the public sector is a crucial element for the full development of a sustainable HPC ecosystem in Europe. Widening the use of HPC requires federating resources, and attracting new talents requires the further development of existing and the creation of new national HPC Competence Centres and their networking and coordination across Europe.

Objectives

• support existing or the creation in a maximum number of countries of up to one national HPC Competence Centre in each of the EU Member States and EuroHPC JU Participating States. The national HPC Competence Centres should provide HPC services to industry (including to SMEs), academia and public administrations, delivering tailored /modular solutions for a wide variety of users, with an aim to ease and foster the transition towards wider uptake of HPC in Europe
• Networking and coordination of national HPC Competence Centres with the aim to maximize existing European HPC knowledge and expertise across Europe.

Scope

Research and Innovation Actions

Set-up and operate one HPC Competence Centre in a maximum number of countries of each of the EU Member States and EuroHPC JU Participating States, associated to the national supercomputing centres. The HPC Competence Centre should provide leading-edge, innovative solutions taking into account national HPC needs and requirements emanating from different users (industry, academia, public administrations), and develop the necessary expertise and applications know-how close to the users.

Coordination and Support Action

Proposals should aim at coordinating the national HPC Competence Centres. In particular, it is expected to establish a communication platform, facilitate dialogue, promote the objectives of the HPC Competence Centres and organize outreach events and workshops.

Proposals should address all the following points:

• coordinate and be a reference point for national HPC initiatives ensuring the exchange of best practice and information across Europe;
• ensure that the specific “vertical” expertise and solutions of each national Competence Centre provide coordinated support on a local level to other Competence Centres, facilitating cross-domain expertise and share effective solutions for industry, academia and the public sector;
• coordinate centrally mentoring and twinning programmes with the aim to accelerate the development of ‘new’ HPC Competence Centres
• sharing of existing libraries of HPC codes and, inter alia facilitate access to upgraded HPC application codes in order to encourage mutual learning and strive towards reaching a uniform maturity level across HPC Competence Centres and help close the gap between experienced and less experienced countries.

The JU considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 2 million and a duration of 2 years would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting another duration or other amounts. Only one proposal will be selected.

Expected Impact

• Contribution to the realisation of the EuroHPC overall and specific objectives
• Promoting the use of HPC at national level by identifying relevant users and matching their needs with the available expertise in the HPC Competence Centres
• Provision of leading-edge, innovative solutions for targeted regional/national industries/ applications
• Provision of support to interested end users that are/will use HPC and HPDA in their daily business
• Contribution to ensure European technological autonomy in this field and the realisation of the EuroHPC overall and specific objectives
• Effective coordination and exchange of best practices and information among the networked HPC Competence Centres
• Facilitate access to services and training offered at national level to interested HPC Competence Centres and other potential users (from industry, academia or public sector)
• Maximise visibility and outreach of national HPC Competence Centres, in particular to industry
• Improved coordination and increased availability of training activities on HPC across HPC Competence Centres

Deadline

14  Novembere 2019 17:00 Brussels time

More information

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