This data centre will house the new Tier-1 supercomputer at KU Leuven (Belgium).

As from the second half of 2016, KU Leuven will house a brand new Tier-1 supercomputer. The computer will be one of the 150 largest and fastest computers in the world. The Flemish Minister for Science and Innovation has provided the necessary funding, which amounts to 5.5 million euros.

One of the 150 fastest computers in the world

The supercomputer will have a computing capacity of more than 600 teraflops, which is the equivalent of 2,000 fast PCs. It is also three times the capacity of the first Flemish Tier-1, which is housed at Ghent University and already four years old.

The new Tier-1 supercomputer will be equipped with the latest Intel processors. The memory, internal network, and storage capacity, too, will be adapted to the complex problems that the computer will have to solve.

The new machine will be installed at KU Leuven in the middle of 2016. It will be among the world’s fastest computers.

Computationally intensive tasks for advanced research

The new supercomputer in Leuven will support research into, for instance, renewable sources of energy or the development of new materials and medication. The computer will also enable researchers to, for instance, create even more detailed climate models or to predict the climate of other planets. For fundamental research, too, the new Tier-1 opens up new possibilities.

The new Tier-1 supercomputer requires an investment of 5.5 million euros. Via a public tender procedure, the company NEC was selected to build the machine. The project was funded by the Hercules Foundation, which falls under the competence of Flemish Minister for Science and Innovation Philippe Muyters.

The supercomputer will be developed and made available in collaboration with the Flemish Supercomputer Centre (VSC), a partnership between the five Flemish university associations.

Minister Philippe Muyters: “The Flemish Government is committed to investing in research and innovation. Our research institutions are among the best in the world. We can only maintain and strengthen that top position if we keep investing. The supercomputer can play a crucial role in a wide range of fields. It fills me with pride to see that the Flemish Government has played its part in this matter.”

Source: KU Leuven

Content Curation: The content curation research for this article was funded by Gevers and Muurtuin.