Supercomputing facility and expertise open for industrial benefit

March. 4 — HPC Midlands, a new supercomputing facility based at Loughborough University's Science and Enterprise Park, provides state-of-the-art e-infrastructure for research and industry.

High performance computing (HPC) is used to process vast quantities of data and undertake complex calculations. It has the potential to act as a catalyst for breakthroughs across a wide range of sectors including bio-informatics, engineering, finance, manufacturing, power generation, molecular modelling, science, and weather forecasting.

The 3,000-core supercomputer at the heart of HPC Midlands, combined with high performance computing expertise from Loughborough University and the University of Leicester, is now available for business and industry to use as a crucial tool for driving innovation.

On Wednesday 20 March, companies will have the opportunity to find out how access to the HPC Midands supercomputer could benefit their business.

The launch event at Loughborough University will give delegates the chance to meet the team behind HPC Midlands; explore opportunities for collaboration; and view case studies, showing how successful businesses including Tata Steel, E.ON and Rolls Royce already benefit from working closely with HPC Midlands. Researchers with a record of using high performance computing to solve industrially relevant problems will be on-hand to discuss what the facility is able to offer industry.

Dr Steven Kenny, director of HPC Midlands said: "Since establishing HPC Midlands with the financial backing of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, we have worked closely with academic colleagues and a range of industrial partners to refine the service to ensure that it meets business as well as academic needs. Now we are ready to invite small and large businesses with specialist computing requirements to come along and see how they can benefit from this world-class facility."

More information about the event – including how to register – can be found at www.lboro.ac.uk/microsites/hpc.

About HPC Midlands

More information about HPC Midlands can be found at www.hpc-midlands.ac.uk.

About Loughborough University

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-09 title, and is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in national newspaper league tables. In the 2011 National Student Survey, Loughborough was voted one of the top universities in the UK, and has topped the Times Higher Education league for the Best Student Experience in England every year since the poll's inception in 2006. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

It is a member of the 1994 Group of 11 leading research-intensive universities. The Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. Each member undertakes diverse and high-quality research, while ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student experience.

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Source: Loughborough University