Convecs, Supercomputing Made in Veneto
14.03.2025
The development of a new drug, the creation of so-called “digital twins,” and the application of generative artificial intelligence all share the necessity of managing highly complex and advanced computing infrastructure. High-performance computing (HPC) is becoming an indispensable tool not only in traditional scientific disciplines such as physics and engineering but also in less conventional fields like social sciences, humanities, biology, pharmaceuticals, and even the arts.
The Convecs project – “Venetian Community for Scientific Computing” – is the response from the Veneto universities and research centers to the Veneto Region’s call for proposals, which allocates 15 million euros for the creation of a cutting-edge regional supercomputing (HPC) infrastructure. The goal is to foster the emergence of a community of experts in these areas and to establish a regional center of excellence in high-performance computing to support local research and development.
On January 8, 2025, the "Temporary Association for Purpose" was established, marking the agreement involving the University of Padua (leading the project), the University of Verona, Ca’ Foscari University, Iuav University of Venice, and the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (Padua and Legnaro branches) for the project's implementation. The partners have agreed on a further development plan for the infrastructure over the next three years, but an initial core of ultra-high-performance computing servers has already been activated and is currently being tested by research staff.
