II - Access to cutting-edge technology boosts business
“HPC can now help SMEs solve problems that they simply couldn’t before, often igniting new business models.”
Guy Lonsdale, FF4EuroHPC project team member
SMEs account for 99% of all European businesses(opens in new window), forming the backbone of Europe’s economy. But to grasp the opportunities offered by the pace and scope of digitalisation, many need better access to computing resources. The EU-supported FF4EuroHPC(opens in new window) helps SMEs access funds and expertise to both increase their own commercial potential and boost European innovation and competitiveness. With a background in simulation software, Guy Lonsdale from the project team has watched HPC use evolve from computer-aided design to cutting-edge data analytics and machine learning (ML). “The field is now coming of age as technological advances converge with business needs,” says Lonsdale. “HPC can now help SMEs solve problems that they simply couldn’t before, often igniting new business models.” FF4EuroHPC follows two previous EU-supported projects, Fortissimo and Fortissimo 2(opens in new window). Both reached out to SMEs through open calls to fund 18-month experiments demonstrating the business benefits of HPC. Project partners supported the consortia with access to computing resources through a cloud-based infrastructure. The result was 79 success stories(opens in new window) showcasing a wide range of innovations, from simulations for light-aircraft aerodynamics to assessments of pre-existing drug compounds for potential treatments beyond current prescriptions. Guided by the same approach, FF4EuroHPC has undertaken two funding calls for 15-month long experiments. The first call resulted in EUR 3 million being released for 16 proposals, involving 53 organisations, 27 of which are SMEs. The second call released almost EUR 5 million to 26 funded proposals, involving 79 organisations, including 47 SMEs. As before, FF4EuroHPC’s selections represent a wide spectrum of applications. “There are always surprises with these calls, such as using HPC and ML techniques, combined with sensors and an internet of things platform, for next-generation hen farming,” explains Lonsdale. To help build a fast-evolving and diverse HPC ecosystem, FF4EuroHPC encourages knowledge exchange between experiments, such as through workshops. “Our new experiments are on track to deliver more pioneering business-oriented success stories to promote further HPC take-up by European SMEs,” concludes Lonsdale.