Cooperation is key in addressing future global challenges – CSC and Singapore Centre NSCC increase their collaboration

Finland’s IT Centre For Science CSC, Singapore National Supercomputing Centre, Singapore Advanced Research and Education Network and National University of Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will create a new link between Singapore entities and Finland’s CSC. The signing ceremony was held on 2nd February at SupercomputingAsia 2021 (SCA21) Conference.

Singapore’s National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC), Singapore Advanced Research & Education Network (SingAREN) and the Quantum Engineering Programme of the National University of Singapore (NUS) signed the MoU with CSC. CSC is responsible for managing Finland’s supercomputing infrastructure and the host of Europe’s most powerful pre-exascale supercomputer, the soon-to-be operational LUMI.

Among other things, the collaboration will explore a new high-speed, high-bandwidth research fibre optic link between Finland and Singapore as well as more secure ways of protecting data transfer by using quantum technology.

NSCC and CSC are also studying Finnish green data centre models which have the potential to significantly lower data centre power consumption costs – the largest cost component in most data centres - by leveraging climate and renewable energy sources. 

- The MoU and the other collaborative sessions at SCA21 is a reflection of the resolve by the HPC community to continue cooperation as a tool in fighting global challenges like the current pandemic, and to better prepare us to face the challenges to come, said Associate Professor Tan Tin Wee, the Chairperson of the SCA21 Steering Committee, and the Chief Executive of NSCC.

- For Singapore, the new collaboration between CSC and the Singapore entities is significant as it could help future-proof Singapore’s HPC resources by creating new research links and connectivity to Europe, develop better ways to protect the transfer of data over long distances, and helps us explore new ways to create more efficient and greener data centres.

- We are excited to collaborate with NSCC, SingAREN and NUS in cutting-edge communications technology. This will enable us in Finland and in Singapore to provide our national research and education networks world-leading capabilities in data transmission and information security, said CSC's Managing Director, Mr Kimmo Koski.

MoU that was signed between Singapore entities and Finland’s CSC at the SCA21 conference is a reflection of the ongoing collaborative spirit in the HPC community. The MoU was announced by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister-in-Charge of the Smart Nation Initiative at the Opening Ceremony of the SCA21 virtual conference.

- The crisis has underscored the importance of international cooperation in the fight against the virus across the world. This MoU signals our intent to accelerate cross-border collaborations, which will benefit the research communities far beyond our shores, said Vivian Balakrishnan in his Opening Speech.

For further information:

Kimmo Koski, CEO, CSC

kimmo.koski@csc.fi +358 50 381 9777

Pekka Manninen, Director, LUMI Leadership Computing Facility, CSC

pekka.manninen@csc.fi +358 50 3812 831

About the SupercomputingAsia 2021 (SCA21) Conference
Co-organised by HPC centres from Singapore, Japan and Australia, SupercomputingAsia (SCA) 2021 is an annual conference that encompasses an umbrella of notable supercomputing and allied events in Asia. SCA21 will be held as a virtual conference from 2 to 4 March 2021.