The shared infrastructure of three Danish universities has become a significant success for research and innovation. Now, capacity is strengthened further with the establishment of a new, more energy-efficient and sustainable data center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past six years, demand for the type of interactive, user-friendly supercomputing provided by DeiC Interactive HPC has proven enormous. UCloud, the platform behind the service, now has nearly 20,000 users, including both students and researchers\u2014a truly unique figurefor a supercomputer. Comparable – and even larger – supercomputers in Europe cannot boast even half as many users or the same broad representation across gender and research fields as UCloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cDeiC Interactive HPC and UCloud have, in six years, changed the way Danish researchers work with supercomputing. With UCloud, we have made advanced computing power accessible across disciplines\u2014from students to experienced researchers\u2014and created a platform that combines user-friendliness with high performance. It\u2019s a success we are proud of and one that shows Denmark can lead the way in digital research,\u201d <\/em>says Marianne Holmer, Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Southern Denmark. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The New DeiC Interactive HPC \u2013 More Computing Power and Sustainability<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DeiC funding has been increased, and new opportunities for collaboration have emerged for the consortium behind the service, consisting of the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Aarhus University (AU), and Aalborg University (AAU). SDU, Danfoss, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) have entered into a collaboration to establish a new data center (link<\/a>), where DeiC Interactive HPC\u2019s hardware will be placed going forward. The new data center makes it possible to combine high-performance computing with energy-efficient and innovative cooling and heat recovery. At the same time, Danfoss\u2019 cooling and heat recovery systems enable surplus heat from the new data center to be reused. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The initiative is supported by ProjectZero, a public-private partnership in S\u00f8nderborg with the goal of making its energy system carbon-neutral by 2029. The project focuses on a three-step decarbonization approach of reducing, reusing, and renewing energy and has already achieved a significant reduction in energy-related carbon emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The increased investment from DeiC means the consortium can deliver higher capacity to its many users. SDU, as the consortium representative, has worked with the supplier HPE to assemble a supercomputer that includes the latest and most powerful GPU hardware – essential for AI research and handling large datasets. All of this will be available in UCloud\u2019s secure, user-friendly open-source environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWith the new data center, we are taking a decisive step into the future of research infrastructure. We are showing that Denmark can deliver world-class supercomputing – not only in performance but also in sustainability and digital sovereignty,<\/em>\u201d says Professor Claudio Pica, Director of the SDU eScience Center. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
A Unique Contribution to Denmark\u2019s Digital Sovereignty<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DeiC Interactive HPC is located on Danish soil and uses Danish-developed open-source cloud technology – UCloud. This allows Danish researchers to efficiently utilize supercomputer resources without relying on foreign technology providers, and in an environment suitable even for sensitive personal data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cThere is currently much discussion about digital sovereignty and the challenges posed by the fact that parts of the digital infrastructure that Denmark heavily depends on is developed, owned, and controlled by foreign tech giants. Here, UCloud and the Interactive HPC collaboration are a unique example of how public institutions can develop and use secure, transparent, and sustainable digital solutions that support research, education, and society\u2019s broader digital needs,<\/em>\u201d says Professor Kristoffer Nielbo, Head of the Center for Humanities Computing, Aarhus University. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n