Nuijten was at the very start of the initiative, having laid its foundations back in 2021. At the time, he was already working on realizing supercomputer SPIKE-1 for the university. 

“We explained how that computer would help accelerate and improve our research, and that this kind of computing power could also be useful for companies. There was quickly a lot of enthusiasm for that at the province and also at the BOM (Brabant Development Agency, ed.).”

Extra capacity

TU/e put the supercomputer into operation last year, giving the university a level of computing power it had never had before. With SPIKE-A, the Province of Noord-Brabant is now funding about 25 percent additional capacity and making it available to businesses.

“The computers are housed in the same data center, but they are kept separate. We do want to explore whether, when needed, part of the capacity can be shared.” The computer is also included in the life cycle management contract of SPIKE-1, which means it will always use the latest technology.

Sharing knowledge

The province will thus get its own supercomputer, but it is very similar to TU/e’s system. As a result, a great deal of knowledge about this computer is already available at the university. The TU/e Supercomputing Center will share that expertise by training staff involved in the new initiative on how to work with the system.

They will be physically based in Neuron, working alongside the Supercomputing Center and EAISI. “We know what this computer needs, how to optimize codes, and how to onboard projects.”

The Brabant initiative then uses that knowledge to help companies and organizations work with the supercomputer. They often know what they want to use the computer for, but not how to get it running effectively on this specific system, Nuijten explains.

A societal role

He expects the university to remain involved in thinking along, for example about which companies could benefit from the computer—and which might not. “We do the same for researchers: we look together at what problem they want to solve and whether SPIKE-1 is the best option for that.”

So what does this initiative bring TU/e itself? Not all that much directly, Nuijten admits. But he sees it as part of the university’s societal role to ensure that knowledge also finds its way beyond the campus.

“In this way, we help create and retain successful companies in the region. That is good for the region, and therefore also for TU/e. These companies may also become future employers of our students and partners in research projects.”

“Moreover, it is useful for us to see what applications the computer is being used for. Perhaps we can even draw insights from the collaboration to incorporate into our curricula. But at its core, this initiative is really about supporting the ecosystem.”

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.