Our supercomputers support science, industry, and society

IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava is a leading research, development, and innovation centre active in the fields of High-Performance Computing (HPC), Data Analysis (HPDA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Quantum Computing (QC) and their application to other scientific fields, industry, and society. IT4Innovations operates the most powerful supercomputing systems in the Czech Republic, provided to Czech and foreign research teams from academia and industry. Together with the CESNET and CERIT-SC institutions, IT4Innovations constitutes e-INFRA CZ, a strategic research infrastructure of the Czech Republic.

Since 2013, IT4Innovations has been providing state-of-the-art supercomputing technologies and services to both Czech and foreign research teams from academia and the private sector to increase the competitiveness and innovativeness of Czech science and industry. At present, IT4Innovations runs three supercomputers: Czech most powerful supercomputer Karolina (15.7 PFlop/s, installed in the summer of 2021), Barbora (849 TFlop/s, installed in the autumn of 2019), and the specialised NVIDIA DGX-2 system for artificial intelligence computation, (130 TFlop/s and 2 PFlop/s in AI, installed in the spring of 2019). Apart from the supercomputers operated at IT4Innovations, Czech research communities also have access to the LUMI supercomputer thanks to IT4Innovations' membership in the LUMI consortium.

The key research areas of IT4Innovations include big data processing and analysis, machine learning, development of parallel scalable algorithms and algorithms for quantum computers and simulators, solutions to computationally demanding engineering problems, advanced visualization, virtual reality, modelling for nanotechnologies, and material design. 

 

IT4Innovations research activities are executed across 5 laboratories:

IT4Innovations also strongly focuses on cooperation with industrial enterprises, earning IT4Innovation the status of the Digital Innovation Hub registered at the European Commission level and is a member of DIHnet EU, the European network of digital innovation hubs. In this context, IT4Innovations has developed a partnership with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (part of VSB-TUO), and the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre Ostrava and the European Digital Innovation Hub Ostrava was established.

Furthermore, IT4Innovations is also involved in a range of educational activities focused on HPC, HPDA, and AI. Moreover, IT4Innovations employees participate as educating experts on HPC, HPDA, and AI within the Computational Science PhD study program. IT4Innovations and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at VSB-TUO jointly guarantee this program. In addition, the centre's employees participate in ensuring education in computationally-based study programs offered by VSB-TUO on all levels ranging from Bc to PhD study programs such as applied mechanics, computational and applied mathematics, nanotechnology, and applied physics.

History

2011
 
The foundation of IT4Innovations
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
 
Became a Member of PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe)
         
 
Implementation of Research Programmes
2013
 

Launch of the Anselm supercomputer

2014
 
Opening of the IT4Innovations building
2015
 
Launch of the Salomon supercomputer
         
 
Incorporation into the Intel® Parallel Computing Center programme
2016
 
Membership in ETP4HPC (European Technology Platform for High-Performance Computing)
2018
 
The Czech Republic joined the EuroHPC JU (support for building a European exascale supercomputer), in which IT4I is actively involved
         
 
IT4Innovations became part of the H2020 POP2 Centre of Excellence
         
 
IT4Innovations is registered by the European Commission as the DIH
2019
 
Launch of the NVIDIA DGX-2 system specialised for Artificial Intelligence calculations
         
 
Launch of the Barbora supercomputer      
         
 
The success achieved in the competition to build a EuroHPC pre-exascale supercomputing system as a member of the LUMI consortium
 
         
 
Membership in BDVA (Big Data Value Association) and EUDAT CDI
         
 
Foundation of e-INFRA CZ
         
 
Launch of the H2020 LEXIS project, the coordinator of which is IT4Innovations
2020
 
Foundation of the Digital Innovation Hub Ostrava
         
 
 
 
 
 
Signature of the contract to build the EuroHPC petascale Karolina supercomputer with a theoretical peak performance of 15.7 PFlop/s, the most powerful supercomputer in the Czech Republic              
         
 
IT4Innovations becomes the National Competence Centre in HPC
 
2021
 
Termination of the Anselm and the Salomon supercomputers
         
 
Launch of the Karolina supercomputer
2022
 
LUMI-Q project for installation of a quantum computer in IT4Innovations approved by EuroHPC JU
         
 
Launch of the LUMI supercomputer, the most powerful European supercomputer, whose computational capacities can also be used by the Czech scientific community. IT4Innovations is also involved in its operation.
2023
 
Establishment of the European Digital Innovation Hub Ostrava by combining the activities of IT4Innovations, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, which are part of VSB-TUO, and the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre Ostrava
         
 
Start of the EXA4MIND project, of which IT4Innovations is the coordinator
         
 
IT4Innovations, part of Centers of Excellence MAX and SPACE
2024
 
Transformation of the Big Data Analysis Laboratory into the Quantum Computing Laboratory

 

Mission of IT4Innovations

Our mission is to carry out excellent research in the field of high-performance computing and advanced data analysis, and to operate the leading national supercomputing infrastructure, mediating its effective use in order to increase the competitiveness and innovation of Czech science and industry.

Vision of IT4Innovations

Our vision is to become a leading supercomputing center that provides professional services and conducts excellent research in the field of high-performance computing and processing of advanced data sets for the benefit of science, industry, and the whole of society.

2,000+
users
8
memberships in international organizations 
25+
international projects
100+
projects for industry

Gallery

IT4Innovations building
IT4Innovations building
IT4Innovations building
IT4Innovations building
IT4Innovations building
Supercomputer Salomon
Supercomputer Salomon
Data room
Data room
Supercomputer Anselm
Supercomputer Anselm
Supercomputer Barbora
Supercomputer Salomon
Supercomputer Anselm
Supercomputer Salomon
Supercomputer Salomon
Data room — Supercomputer Salomon
Data room — Supercomputer Salomon
Supercomputer Salomon
Supercomputer Salomon