Open Call: National Competence Centres for High Performance Computing

NCCs will be a focal point of HPC in the respective country and will provide a wide range of HPC services and training to industry (in particular to SMEs), academia and public administrations, facilitating tailored and modular solutions for a wide variety of HPC users. The NCCs should connect relevant stakeholders to other national and European initiatives in the area of HPC to provide the best possible support for HPC to the local communities.

SMEs and start-ups will be central to the NCC’s activities. Academic institutions and stakeholders may be addressed only to a limited extent and most of the resources of the NCC will be dedicated to support local SMEs, industry and public services.

Scope

• The action should set up and operate, or further develop where already existing, one NCC for HPC in each country in a maximum number of EuroHPC JU Participating States. The NCCs represent the focal point of national competences in HPC and provide leading-edge knowledge to enable the development of innovative solutions in their country, taking into account national HPC needs and requirements emanating from different user communities (industry, academia, public administrations) and application domains.
• The NCCs focus on activities where local support is most effective such as local communication, training and consultation services to support the specific needs of the relevant national and local communities. They provide a flexible and modular portfolio of HPC services, taking into account the degree of maturity of the national HPC ecosystem and in close coordination and collaboration with the other NCCs to achieve the highest possible impact and the widest possible spread of knowledge. NCCs will support stakeholders from other regions and countries that need their expertise through the NCC network in a coordinated way by the complementary Coordination and Support Action.

Available Budget

• Topic Budget: EUR 20 000 000

Outcomes and Deliverables

• Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:
  • An effective pan-European network for competencies in the field of HPC that provides services to national/regional/local communities from the public and private sector with a specific focus on SMEs.
  • Increased usage of HPC in Europe by identifying relevant users on national level and matching their needs with the available expertise in the HPC Competence Centres.
  • Widened uptake of HPC and thus an increased development of leading-edge, innovative solutions and innovation capacity of the European HPC ecosystem.
  • Enhanced HPC competencies in the field of HPC on the national and European level.
  • Strengthened European HPC network reducing the skill gaps in HPC.
• Mandatory deliverable:
  • For each NCC, a public annual report that includes details of the set up and activities of the NCC.

Eligibility Criteria

• In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
• be legal entities (public or private bodies)
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
  • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
  • non-EU countries:
    • listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature

For more information, visit EC.