The upgraded HPC4SME Automated Assessment Tool that has been developed within the National Competence Centre SLING (NCC SLING) and in collaboration with 15 National Competence Centres (NCCs) was officially launched thus marking a major step forward in the project “National Competence Centres in the Framework of EuroHPC Phase 2” (EuroCC 2).
The EuroCC 2 project is based on the premise that competencies is at the heart of a successful implementation of the European High Performance Computing (EuroHPC) strategy. EuroCC 2 encourages further activities to increase the competencies within the already established National Competence Centres whose experts from more than 30 European countries work together with scientists, researchers, public administrations and industry.
Supporting Industry: HPC4SME Tool
Arctur, NCC SLING partner and leader of the Task 3 – Industry, has improved the HPC4SME tool, which is tailored to monitor the High Performance Computing (HPC) readiness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to track the individual progress of large groups of respondents.
This is precisely where the HPC4SME AAT comes in: the HPC4SME AAT is used to assess the potential and readiness of European SMEs to adopt High Performance Computing and Cloud Computing. Through an advanced questionnaire, the HPC4SME tool offers SMEs the opportunity to discover IF and HOW an organisation can benefit from supercomputing services. After completing the questionnaire, the SME receives the report with valuable recommendations on how to benefit from using HPC. In addition, the tool could help HPC centres and other stakeholders to identify SMEs with potential and stimulate the adoption of cloud HPC services.
By using the HPC4SME tool, SMEs can:
1. Objectively measure and monitor the current state of the organization using data.
2. Advance the maturity of each respondent through personalised automated reports.
HPC4SME Task Force: Collaboration with 15 NCCs
The technical upgrade of the HPC4SME AAT was carried out by Arctur with the support of 15 NCCs, spearheading the task force entrusted with upgrading the HPC4SME tool.
15 NCCs collaborated efficiently within the task force with the aim of improving the tool and translating it into national languages to make it accessible to a wider audience within the respective NCCs.. To date, the NCCs of Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Romania and Turkey have been actively involved and their contribution has resulted in the enhancement of the HPC4SME AAT to meet the evolving needs of the time. The upgrade involved reviewing the content, adding new relevant topics, refreshing the graphic design, fine-tuning the decision model, translating the content (it is now available in 9 languages) and various other activities, making the expert input of the NCCs irreplaceable.
The NCCs have been invited to disseminate the tool to their respective SMEs. In order to properly communicate the tool, Arctur provided the NCCs with a valuable document with recommendations on marketing and strategies to reach SMEs.
SMEs, you are kindly invited to easily assess your organisation’s current (and future) readiness to embrace cloud and HPC through the HPC4SME AAT: https://aat.hpc4sme.eu/.
A new website for SMEs
Under the auspices of the HPC4SME activity, a new website has been launched to provide SMEs with valuable information in one place. SMEs can now access the HPC4SME tool, learn more about NCCs and find relevant training offered by NCCs, find relevant information and connections to the EU HPC ecosystem, get inspired by the success stories from the European landscape and find relevant information on funding opportunities.
You are kindly invited to visit http://www.hpc4sme.eu.
