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.

Funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and led by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, EVITA – the EuroHPC Virtual Training Academy – is building a unified, high-quality training ecosystem for High-Performance Computing (HPC) across Europe. By developing a Competence and Qualification Framework, designing a comprehensive HPC Skills Tree, curating modular training content, and creating a centralised digital training platform, EVITA empowers students, researchers, and professionals to access harmonised and recognised HPC education. The project promotes collaboration among Europe’s leading academic and supercomputing centres and is firmly rooted in quality assurance, long-term sustainability, and alignment with national and European digital skills strategies.

The EVITA consortium brings together eight prominent institutions from across Europe with expertise in HPC training and education:

  • Barcelona Supercomputing Center (Spain)
  • Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
  • Technische Universität Wien (Austria)
  • Linköping University (Sweden)
  • HLRS – High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (Germany)
  • GWDG (Germany)
  • University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
  • IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic)

The kick-off meeting provided a platform for each partner to present the status of their respective work packages and discuss the roadmap for upcoming milestones. Topics included the design of the CQF, the structure of the skills tree, training content development, and platform architecture. These sessions sparked productive exchanges and helped align efforts across institutions. Breakout discussions in smaller groups enabled deeper exploration of shared challenges and fostered cross-package collaboration, reinforcing the consortium's commitment to excellence and innovation.

As a key member of the EVITA consortium, IT4Innovations contributes to developing training content, piloting modules, leading the work package for development and quality assurance of the material, and co-leading the communication and dissemination work package. Our involvement builds on our long-standing experience in HPC training, curriculum development, and user engagement, reflecting our commitment to advancing digital skills and workforce readiness in the Czech Republic and Europe.

The consortium extended warm thanks to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center for hosting the event and facilitating a productive and inspiring environment. With the kick-off meeting concluded, the EVITA project moves forward with clear objectives and strong momentum. By pooling expertise and resources, the consortium aims to deliver a sustainable and scalable virtual training academy that supports Europe’s ambition to remain at the forefront of HPC innovation.