A network for supporting the coordination of High-Performance Computing research between Europe and Latin America

Project Information

RISC2

Grant agreement ID: 101016478

DOI

10.3030/101016478

Project closed

EC signature date 17 December 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 30 September 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Total cost

€ 514 912,50

EU contribution

€ 499 912,50

Coordinated by

BARCELONA SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER CENTRO NACIONAL DE SUPERCOMPUTACION
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RISC2 (A network for supporting the coordination of High-Performance Computing research between Europe and Latin America)

Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2023-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

International collaboration is critical in the context of growing global societal challenges, such as climate change, health threats and energy efficiency. High-Performance Computing (HPC) used to be confined to the big science and defence fields. Nowadays, HPC is a pervasive tool that stimulates economic growth as the core of scientific and industrial innovations. HPC is a key asset and an enabler for addressing grand challenges. The European project RISC2 is a Coordination and Support Action that aims at strengthening the bridges between the HPC communities in Europe and Latin America to foster cooperation and exchange best practices in HPC Research, Development, and Innovation.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

RISC2 implemented actions targeting the HPC research community, industry actors and policymakers. Through these actions, the RISC2 Consortium gathered relevant data to describe the HPC landscape in LATAM, assess the collaboration potential between organisations within LATAM and between LATAM and the EU, and elaborate on recommendations to foster bi-regional collaboration.
The main results of RISC2 are:
- The HPC Observatory, publicly accessible through the RISC2 project website, offers relevant information for the HPC community in LATAM and the EU: news and articles focusing on HPC collaboration, an agenda of relevant events for the HPC community, a repository of reports, and a database of HPC resources in LATAM.
- Policy dialogues on the two regions’ key ICT challenges in HPC. RISC2 partners in LATAM met with RDI policymakers at the regional, national, or local levels to discuss the priorities, funding opportunities and collaboration potential in HPC. In addition, RISC2 was present at several events in the EU and LATAM, highlighting the potential for bi-regional cooperation in HPC. Partners succeeded in raising awareness among their countries’ policymakers on the vital role played by HPC within the RDI ecosystem and the need to increase collaboration, both within the region and between LATAM and the EU. RISC2 partners’ involvement contributed to future developments in policies impacting HPC in the region.
- The Roadmap for HPC R&I between Europe and LATAM, which includes a description of the HPC landscape in Latin America and in each participating country, collaboration best practices, research priorities in the field of HPC, and potential synergies to foster international cooperation in HPC RDI between the EU and LATAM. Based on this information, a set of recommendations for common HPC policies was included.
- The RISC2 partners organised seven HPC schools with the support of RISC2, encouraging international students and researchers’ attendance. Attendance of international students and researchers contributed to the networking potential of such events and paved the way towards research collaborations within LATAM and between LATAM and European organisations.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

RISC2 has been conceived to boost EU-LATAM cooperation in HPC contributing to tackling global and local societal, industrial, and environmental challenges and supporting the promotion of science, technology, and innovation.
Actions carried out throughout RISC2’s life were instrumental in establishing contacts with the HPC research communities in the EU and LATAM and policymakers at the local, national, and regional levels, engaging in conversations with the authorities from the Ministries of Science and the funding agencies in the seven LATAM countries participating in RISC2. Contacts were also established with regional organisations in LATAM. These dialogues allowed RISC2 partners to raise awareness among policymakers about the potential for HPC collaboration. The dissemination activities within RISC2 contributed to raising awareness of the importance of developing a roadmap to drive HPC bi-regional cooperation forward. As the outcome of the roadmapping activities, the RISC2 Consortium produced the report “Roadmap for HPC R&I between Europe and LATAM” and ten proposals for joint action plans, addressing common research priorities, requirements, and funding opportunities.
RISC2 aimed to foster bi-regional cooperation and improve information sharing on HPC best practices. The actions’ impact is reflected through the number of students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers participating in the events organised by RISC2 and using RISC2 resources.

Three years of building bridges in HPC research between Europe and Latin America