The Vlaams Supercomputer Centrum (VSC) is committed to driving excellent research and innovation potential in Flanders by providing services and infrastructure for research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities in academia, industry, and government. In this blog post, we will explore the main topics related to the VSC's endeavors in 2022 and their impact on research and innovation.
Retirement of Tier-1 BrENIAC and Introduction of Hortense In 2022, the VSC marked a significant milestone with the retirement of Tier-1 BrENIAC, a supercomputer that had served the community for over six years. BrENIAC played a crucial role in supporting top research in Flanders. However, to continue providing cutting-edge computing capabilities, BrENIAC was succeeded by Hortense, the new Flemish supercomputer. The deployment of Hortense took place during the course of 2022, ensuring a seamless transition and uninterrupted support for research and innovation.
Collaborations and Initiatives The VSC actively engages in collaborations and initiatives both at the national and international levels to foster HPC developments. Through partnerships such as EuroHPC, LUMI, and EuroCC, the VSC has expanded collaborations on high-performance computing within Belgium and Europe. In the National Competence Center (NCC), the VSC, together with the five Flemish associations and Walloon partners CENAERO and CECI, works towards establishing a reference contact point on HPC at the national level. This initiative aims to cater to customers from various sectors, including industry, sciences, and future HPC experts. Moreover, the VSC actively participates in projects at LUMI, a European HPC infrastructure. In 2022, the first Belgian pilot projects at LUMI began utilizing the infrastructure, opening new opportunities for research and innovation in Flanders.
Events and User Engagement The VSC understands the importance of user engagement and knowledge sharing. In 2022, the center organized various events to facilitate interactions among users, partners, and the VSC team. These events included the VSC user day, an online lunch session focusing on OpenFOAM, the iRODS user group meeting, the KU Leuven Tier-2 launch event, and VSC Industry Tour events with a focus on health and the maritime sector.
Expanding Reach to Non-Academic Users Recognizing the value of engaging non-academic users, the VSC made efforts to adapt its services to meet the specific needs of organizations outside academia. Proactive efforts were made to seek potential customers, leading to an increase in the number of non-academic test users and industrial consumption. The VSC's commitment to catering to non-academic users is reflected in the growing interest and participation of industries, and new initiatives such as community building and a study assignment on HPC potential in Flanders.
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