Belgium is getting a new Tier-1 supercomputer. It will be placed in Brussels but can be accessed by all Flanders scientists.
It will take until the fall of 2025 before the supercomputer becomes available. It will be at the Green Energy Park of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. It involves a total investment of 12 million euros, the university shares.
Only 1 in Flanders
Besides a Tier-1 supercomputer, there are also Tier-2 supercomputers. Of the latter, each university manages one in its own data center. The supercomputers serve for small-scale calculations and simple data analyses and simulations.
Flanders has only one Tier-1 supercomputer, which is currently in possession of the University of Ghent. The VUB talks about ‘the predecessor,’ so it seems this one will be replaced in 2025.
‘Working on the big challenges of tomorrow’
Jo Brouns, Flemish Minister of Science Policy and Innovation, explains why owning this supercomputer is important: “Complex and time-consuming calculations will be done faster and more efficiently for climate simulations and training AI models. Supercomputers were also used in the fight against the COVID virus to map the spread of the virus.”
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