By Katie Gallagher
The University of Galway will host CASPIr, a new national supercomputer, from 2027.
Following an agreement by the government and European Commission, the national high-performance computing system will be operated by the University’s Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC). The ICHEC provides e-infrastructure, services and expertise to academia, industry, and the public sector.
The new supercomputer, named ‘Computational Analysis and Simulation Platform for Ireland’ (CASPIr), is expected to enhance Ireland’s computing capacities and capabilities and provide Irish startups, SMEs, and public bodies with access to state-of-the-art computing and AI resource. CASPIr is one of 31 supercomputers in Europe which are funded under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking.
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science informed Galway Pulse that European funding of up to €5 million will be available over the lifetime of the project, with the intention that Ireland will match the EU amounts.
The spokesperson went on to say that “Ireland is seen as a rising leader in global innovation. The Minister (James Lawless) points to our 18th place ranking out of 140 countries in the Global Innovation Index as clear evidence of our growing global influence. In today’s knowledge economy, talent and ideas are our most valuable resources, and our people are our great natural asset. Continued investment in research and innovation is essential to shaping Ireland’s future.”
Professor David Burn, President of University of Galway, said: “The collaboration agreement for the new supercomputer, CASPIr, heralds a new era of research capability for Europe, and Ireland’s research community, and places University of Galway and our Irish Centre for High-End Computing at the helm of data driven study. I would like to thank Minister Lawless and his team in the Department for pursuing this investment and working with University of Galway to secure it.”