Earlier this year, the Research Council was tasked with mapping Norway's future need for computing power.
Now, the Government has tasked the Research Council with studying, among other things, the organisation of a potential national infrastructure for computing power for research, administration, and artificial intelligence.
The study shall consider investing in computing power at Sigma2, investing in computing power through cooperation agreements with the EU, and potential investment in computing power from other suppliers.
High-performance computing has been essential in many research areas for years, such as environmental monitoring, weather forecasting, and preparedness. In addition, the power of supercomputers is crucial in developing artificial intelligence. Through long-term plans and with funding from the Research Council, Sigma2 has managed to provide good predictability and deliver sufficient resources for high-performance computing and associated data services.
- We are now at a point where we can no longer provide good predictability to Norwegian researchers unless more funding is quickly implemented. At Sigma2, we always focus on the needs of the researchers, it is an important value for us, says Gunnar Bøe, CEO of Sigma2. - Even though there are few concrete funds in this year's budget, the Government has presented a budget with several important areas and topics for research infrastructure. It is therefore very positive that the Government has given the Research Council this task.
When we look at our neighbouring countries, it is clear that investing in computing power is a priority. For example, the Finnish government has planned significant investments in computing power of up to 3 billion NOK in the coming years.