Deucalion: a milestone in Advanced Computing in Portugal
Professor Rui Oliveira, Director of MACC, the Operational Center where Deucalion is installed.
Since its launch in 2023, Deucalion has been at the forefront of high-performance computing. In this interview by FCCN, Professor Rui Oliveira explores its origins, the significance behind its name, and the ambitious goals it set out to achieve. We also highlight the groundbreaking projects currently underway, the milestones reached so far, and the exciting vision for its future. Dive in to learn how Deucalion is shaping the world of technology and research.
What were Deucalion's initial goals? Have they been achieved?
Deucalion's high-performance infrastructure makes it possible to accelerate scientific and technological innovation, facilitating cutting-edge research in various areas such as physics, chemistry, biology and computer science, while significantly reducing the time it takes industry to create products, services or technologies.
In addition, Deucalion aims to promote collaboration and open innovation between the various communities, making it an advantageous resource for collaborative and interdisciplinary projects, for example in the areas of climate change, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. Also aimed at companies, this computational resource is intended to be a link between companies and academia, fostering the development of innovative solutions together.
In the era of digital transformation in which we live, Deucalion aims to accelerate the digital transition, enabling the development of Artificial Intelligence solutions capable of optimizing processes in industry and services, as well as contributing to the sustainability of the planet. Its use in simulations, for example, can help find more efficient energy solutions, climate change modeling, as well as studies on the energy transition and environmental management.
At the same time as adding value to the national scientific and technological ecosystem, Deucalion empowers teams in the area of advanced computing. The use of this resource allows educational and research institutions to train specialists in the field of High-Performance Computing (HPC), contributing to the development of their capabilities in this area. This is yet another long-term impact of Deucalion's influence on society. In the business sphere, this Portuguese supercomputer can be used to train teams in the area of HPC, capable of incorporating new digital technologies into innovation processes, as well as simulations or analysis.
Lastly, and with international impact, Deucalion has put Portugal on the map of leaders in computing infrastructures. This positioning allows teaching and research institutions and, at the same time, companies to leverage their scientific and technological contributions on an equal footing with other international centers of science, technology and innovation.
Why was the name Deucalion chosen?
The name Deucalion is inspired by Greek mythology. Deucalion, son of Prometheus, is known for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to mankind. After surviving the great flood sent by Zeus, Deucalion is associated with survival and renewal. Thus, the name Deucalion represents the ingenuity and adaptability inherent in these powerful machines, called supercomputers.
How many projects are already underway at Deucalion?
There are currently around half a hundred projects underway, around 20% of which are international, in the EuroHPC network.
What areas are these projects in?
Following the classification used by the EuroHPC JU, the projects taking place at Deucalion are focused on the areas of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences and Humanities. This variety attests to the breadth of areas where this computational resource can be a promising tool for leveraging scientific and technological advances.
Since its inauguration in 2023, what have been the main milestones achieved by Deucalion?
In addition to the inauguration, the launch of the first projects in June 2024 was a milestone of enormous importance for Deucalion and its national and European context. These projects opened the door to the acceleration potential that Deucalion brings to any researcher, academic or innovator in their work.
What do you expect for the future of Deucalion?
Deucalion's expectations for the future are very promising, given its central role in digital transformation and technological innovation in different areas.
It is hoped that Deucalion will continue to play a crucial role in the advancement of scientific and technological research in Portugal and Europe, contributing to the development of technological solutions and cross-cutting challenges in various areas - thus presenting itself as a lever for the expansion of the innovation and research ecosystem.
As Deucalion is the first ARM supercomputer in the EuroHPC network, its impact will also be felt in the European context. At the moment, Europe's most powerful future supercomputer - with a capacity of 10^18 calculations per second, which is equivalent to the computing power of around 400,000 current laptops - will also have ARM architecture, which makes the Portuguese machine the ideal springboard for projects that want to venture into this new architecture.
Thus, the future of Deucalion is one of continuous evolution, positively impacting scientific progress, business innovation and global competitiveness, while playing a vital role in the digital and sustainable transition.