Communications of the ACM

for future European low-power microprocessors for extreme-scale computing, big data, and emerging applications with a specific focus on exascale HPC and automotive computing for autonomous driving. Taking a co-de-sign approach, EPI will design and develop the first European HPC systems on a chip and accelerators. Both elements will be implemented and validated in a prototype system that will become the basis for a full exascale supercomputer based on European technology.

Develop exascale software and applications. Exascale software and applications and their integration in extreme-scale prototypes will help ensure EU leadership in the application of HPC for scientific, industrial, and societal challenges. These activities will support development, optimization (including re-design), and scaling-up of HPC application codes toward exascale computing, as in HPC Centres of Excellenceh (CoEs). CoEs are also inherently committed to co-designing activities to ensure future HPC architectures are well suited for applications and their users, providing them with a high-performance, scalable application base.

Widen use of HPC and address the
HPC-related skills gap. Widening the
use of HPC and addressing the HPC-
related skills gap will increase knowl-
edge and human capital and boost
HPC capabilities, including through
creation of national HPC Competence
Centresi and their networking and
coordination across the EU. These
competence centers can gather the
necessary resources and expertise to
provide a single local entry point for
customized HPC services, ranging
from, for example, highly specialized
scientific and technical HPC users to
h https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/
news/eu-funded-hpc-research-projects-and-
centres-excellence-nutshell
i A national HPC Competence Centre is a legal
entity established in a participating state that
is a member state associated with the national
supercomputing center of that member state,
providing users from industry, including
SMEs, academia, and public administrations,
with access on demand to supercomputers
and to the latest HPC technologies, tools,
applications, and services, and offering ex-
pertise, skills, training, networking, and out-
reach.

SMEs with little or no experience in this domain.

EuroHPC JU in the Next EU
Budgetary Period, 2021–2027

This is only the beginning, since in
the EU’s next Multiannual Financial
Framework, covering the period 2021
to 2027, the aim is to continue sup-
porting the EuroHPC JU via two differ-
ent programs recently proposed by the
European Commission—Horizon Eu-
ropej and Digital Europe.k
Horizon Europe is the EU’s next
Framework Program for Research
and Innovation, the continuation of
Horizon 2020,l supporting the HPC
research and innovation agenda and
addressing exascale and post-exascale
technologies.

The European Commission is also proposing to support the EuroHPC JU via the Digital Europe program with an additional € 2. 7 billion. This will cover acquisition of exascale supercomputers (at least one with European technology in 2022/2023) and post-exascale systems (around 2027), including integration and deployment of the first hybrid HPC/quantum infrastructure in Europe; and actions to develop advanced HPC skills and further facilitate access to industry, academia, and public administrations to the HPC ecosystem, and more. The program will also exploit the synergies between HPC and other digital priorities, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digitizing public-sector services, and digital skills.

Conclusion

The EuroHPC JU is an ambitious ini-
tiative that will enable European coun-
tries to coordinate with the European
Union their supercomputing strate-
gies and investments. We thus need
to reduce the fragmentation of HPC
investments across Europe and align
strategies and investments that are key
for European innovation and competi-
tiveness. We need to secure access to
j https://ec.europa.eu/info/designing-next-
research-and-innovation-framework-pro-
gramme/what-shapes-next-framework-pro-
gramme_en
k http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-
4043_en.htm
l https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/
horizon2020/en/
world-class data and supercomputing
facilities across Europe, ensuring de-
velopment in Europe of an integrated
exascale supercomputing capability
accessible throughout Europe and cov-
ering the whole value chain, from tech-
nology components to systems and
machines to applications and skills.
This will avoid long-term negative ef-
fects on Europe’s data sovereignty and
scientific and industrial leadership
and on Europe’s place in the digital
economy at large.
Today, the EU has put HPC very
high in the political agenda, and we
are confident this will remain the case
for a long time. We are witnessing an
exceptional surge of positive dynam-
ics contributing to the success of the
EuroHPC JU, including wide political
support at both the national and EU
levels, very strong support from pub-
lic and private stakeholders, and the
convergence of HPC with other critical
disciplines for the data economy (such
as big data and artificial intelligence).
This is a unique opportunity for Eu-
rope to reap the benefits of mastering
these converging technologies for our
future. Only by joining forces can we
mobilize substantial European and na-
tional efforts, both public and private,
to place Europe in a leading position in
the global digital economy.

Disclaimer. The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and in no way represent the view of the European Commission and its services.

Thomas Skordas is Director of Digital Excellence and Science Infrastructure, DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium.