NEWS

Are you interested in high-performance computing and want to get a head start on technologies that are changing science and industry? The pan-European Master's programme EUMaster4HPC offers a unique opportunity to study at two leading European universities and gain the knowledge and skills that will open the door to a career in supercomputing.

Ostrava-based researchers and doctors are developing a tool that could shorten colon cancer surgeries and reduce the risk of complications for patients. Using artificial intelligence and a supercomputer, a 3D model of blood vessels is being created, allowing doctors to see the precise location of arteries and veins in the abdominal cavity before surgery. The model's development is a joint effort between experts from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (FEECS), the National Supercomputing Center IT4Innovations at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava and the University Hospital Ostrava, as part of the LERCO project.

Newsletter 4/2025

Barcelona, 2 July 2025 — The  EuroHPC Virtual Training Academy (EVITA) project officially launched with a two-day kick-off meeting held on July 1–2, 2025, at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC). The event marked the first in-person gathering of all consortium members, setting the stage for collaborative efforts to develop a coordinated, high-quality training ecosystem in High-Performance Computing across Europe.

From 10 to 13 June, Hamburg, Germany, became the capital of supercomputing power. The 40th anniversary edition of the ISC High Performance conference, Europe's leading event in the field of high-performance computing (HPC), attracted 3,585 attendees from 54 countries. The event confirmed that Europe has powerful machines and a vision — and Czech IT4Innovations was there.

On May 21–22, 2025, Brno hosted the international conference Research Data Day & EOSC National Tripartite Event, bringing together leading figures of European research, data science experts, representatives of research infrastructures, and science policy makers. The two-day programme—featuring lectures, panel discussions, expert workshops, and networking opportunities—attracted over 200 participants from 40 institutions across the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, Finland, and other European countries, both in person and online.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) represent a significant advance in catalysis. With their unique properties, such as the maximize atomic utilisation, improved selectivity, and ease of catalyst separation, they promise to make chemical processes more efficient and sustainable. However, their practical application presents a significant challenge: stabilising individual atoms on a suitable support to ensure the material retains high catalytic activity under reaction conditions.

Quantum computing is a fascinating and powerful tool with the potential to transform computational capabilities across various scientific and industrial fields fundamentally. Unlike classical computers that operate with bits, quantum computers use
quantum bits, or qubits. These qubits have a unique property – they can exist in a superposition of the states 0 and 1, meaning they can represent more than one value at the same time. This allows quantum computers to perform either impossible or extremely time-consuming computations for classical computers.

The 40th anniversary edition of Europe’s leading supercomputing conference – ISC High Performance (ISC) – will take place from 10 to 13 June in Hamburg, Germany. As ever, ISC will be a global hub for knowledge exchange, innovation and collaboration – not only in high-performance computing (HPC), but also in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.

IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center has installed a new OptiTrack optical 3D tracking system. The technology will enable scientists to visualise complex scientific data more accurately and boost research within the REFRESH project.

Ostrava, 26 May 2025 – The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, visited VSB – Technical University of Ostrava today, where he was introduced to the university’s activities, with particular focus on IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center. The main topic of the visit was cutting-edge research infrastructure in the fields of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies, and its importance for the Czech Republic’s global competitiveness. The President also had the opportunity to see the Czech Republic’s only quantum computer, named VLQ.

Newsletter 3/2025

The second edition of the Superheroes 4 Science project concluded with a final project meeting held at the Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center in March. Coordinated by IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center, the project brought together partners from the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia to reflect on achievements and discuss future use of the educational materials developed throughout the initiative.

Ostrava, 28 April 2025 – The Czech BRM AERO company, in cooperation with Airmobis, has received a grant of CZK 5 million from the European FFplus initiative. They will use the funds to design a new type of aircraft, the development of which will be enhanced by the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center's supercomputers.

Michal Hrabánek, a student at the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), uses a supercomputer to create architectural visualisations. These are a key part of architectural design - they provide an idea of what a building will look like and often shape its construction. To achieve a photorealistic look, computationally demanding methods such as ray tracing can be used.

Jakub Mareček has been working at the Czech Technical University in Prague since 2020. Within the Faculty of Electrical Engineering he is associated with the Artificial Intelligence Center, where he leads a research group focused on mathematical optimisation. He is a coordinator of the European project entitled Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence with Guarantees and the principal investigator of several other grants from the European Commission and the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic.

Ostrava, 10 April 2025 – In the long term, Europe seeks to strengthen its technological sovereignty in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence. One step is to develop a new generation of processors for supercomputers designed and developed exclusively in Europe, including an optimised software ecosystem for research and industrial applications. The Czech Republic is also involved in these activities, specifically Codasip and IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center.

Ostrava, 1 April 2025 – The ambitious ZEUS research project, which aims to increase the resilience of power grids in the context of decarbonisation, decentralisation, and sustainable socio-economic development, has been launched in Ostrava. The project is coordinated by VSB - Technical University of Ostrava (through IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center and ENET Centre) in close cooperation with the University of Ostrava and eight other major partners from various application domains.

Ostrava, 25 March 2025 ­– This year, the first Czech quantum computer will be installed in IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center in Ostrava. It has been named VLQ, and the first components of this unique machine have already been delivered. One of the most important is the cryostat – a device in which the chip is subsequently placed and must be able to cool the chip to a temperature of 10 millikelvins (-273.14 degrees Celsius ), i.e. similar to a temperature in space.

On 18–20 March, the EuroHPC Summit 2025 took place in Krakow, Poland, attracting more than 1,000 experts, industry partners and policy makers. The conference showcased the latest achievements of the European supercomputing ecosystem and addressed challenges in high performance computing, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.