A new supercomputing centre in Glasgow will give local companies direct access to machines that can simulate car crashes, design new drugs, and model energy grids. The West of Scotland Supercomputing Centre, based at the University of Strathclyde, aims to solve a persistent problem: small and medium-sized businesses rarely have the money or expertise to use high-performance computing, even though it could dramatically speed up product design and cut costs. By embedding industry researchers alongside academic experts, the centre offers hands-on training and flexible access—from short, one-off projects to long-term partnerships. If it works, manufacturers could test virtual prototypes instead of building physical ones, energy firms could optimise wind farm layouts, and health technology companies could run faster simulations of medical devices. The centre also plans to work with economic development agencies to attract new businesses to the region. The project is not fundamental science; it is a practical infrastructure investment designed to turn computing power into economic growth.
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This proposal is for an academia-industry High Performance Computing (HPC) regional centre for the West of Scotland that will be based at the University of Strathclyde. The other universities involved in the consortium are Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian, West of Scotland and Stirling. The centre will provide a step-change in HPC provision within a community where academia collaborates most effectively with national and international industry, bringing enhanced business competitiveness and innovation opportunities through collaborative research and industrial product design and simulation. A key component of our strategy is to provide a completely integrated package of HPC resource, support and training service locally, so that industries are more directly attracted to where the work is being performed, and can interact with the HPC experts and associated support. Personal interactions are crucial to both the initial engagement and for the development of longer-term strategic partnerships as relationships mature, building trust and confidence in the academic expertise and the benefits derived from access to HPC capability. New, additive university collaborations and industry-university research partnerships in the Manufacturing, Energy, Health Technologies, and Physical Sciences priority areas will be made possible by the centre. Industries and other organisations working in these sectors will benefit from service provision access to the HPC facilities, as well as from opportunities for joint research and development that requires high performance computing. In recognising that a "one size fits all" approach to industrial user engagement will not work, we will adopt a flexible approach to hosting and prioritising one-off/pump priming contract research in the HPC Centre, as well as develop long-lasting collaborative research relationships on a variety of problems. Participation in and by consortia involving other organisations with common interests (e.g. SMEs, and enterprise and economic development agencies) will also be strongly encouraged. The management structure of the centre ensures that key industrial and academic stakeholders on the Advisory Board will be directly involved in steering the centre. The centre will have the agility to modify its access and operational plans, as well as its CPD and outreach activities, to ensure it remains focused on achieving its goals. This agility is not easily achieved in larger operations encumbered by entrenched practices and competing strategic priorities. The Centre's Director and operational team will facilitate cooperation between partner academics and industrialists, ensuring the right skills and expertise are brought to bear on all industrial needs, and that the advantages of high-performance computing for design and innovation are immediately apparent to both new and existing industrial users. The centre's mission is to ensure that the best scientific and engineering research and development is deployed to full societal benefit by working closely with industry and academic partners. The alignment of the Centre to this mission guarantees its sustainability, and the continuing commitment of the host University and its partners will ensure long-term success in delivering its aims and objectives.
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