PRACE

Partnership for Advanced Computing

Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE) is a persistent, pan-European Research Infrastructure (RI) for High-Performance Computing (HPC) managed as a single European entity.

Supercomputers are indispensable tools for solving the most challenging and complex scientific and technological problems through simulations. To guarantee that the European science community will maintain its international competitiveness, it has to have access to the world-class supercomputer systems. Through PRACE, European scientists and technologists can use world-leading supercomputers, the capacity of which is equal or superior to those in the USA, China or Japan. In addition to HPC resources, PRACE also provides training and education for the effective use of the RI, and engages in software and hardware technology initiatives in order to continuously improve the technologies used in the RI, for example reducing their energy consumption.

CSC has been a member of PRACE since 2007 (one of the founding members) and represents Finland in the PRACE Council. Multiple employees from CSC have held positions of responsibility in PRACE governance. CSC is also a PRACE Training Center (PTC) since 2012 and is the European leader of PRACE training activity in the PRACE 6IP, the most recent PRACE Implementation Phase project. CSC's main aim in PRACE is to facilitate Finnish research groups to benefit from the partnership, for instance by easing access to the world-class computing and data management resources hosted by PRACE, as well as through PRACE's training activities. Participation in PRACE's governance enables CSC to promote Finnish interests at a European level.