High-performance computing network unveiled for Atlantic Canada researchers

St John’s, NF – Researchers in Atlantic Canada will be able to share large amounts of information and model and visualize data simultaneously, due to the launch of the Atlantic Computational Excellence Network (ACEnet)’s pan-atlantic high performance computing network. Memorial University is the lead institution of the partnership between the University of New Brunswick, Saint Mary’s University, St Francis Xavier University, Dalhousie University, Mount Allison University and the University of Prince Edward Island.

“ACEnet represents an unprecedented advancement in the capacity, competitiveness and impact of R&D in Atlantic Canada,” says Dr Christopher Loomis, chair of ACEnet and vice-president (research) of Memorial University. “This joint infrastructure initiative will connect researchers across the region making it possible to build clusters of expertise in strategic sectors and strengthening knowledge creation and innovation in Atlantic Canada.”

All infrastructure will be installed at the four host institutions, Memorial, UNB, St Francis Xavier and St Mary’s, and will be available to qualified researchers from public and private organizations across Atlantic Canada. These institutions will be connected by Canarie’s CA*Net 4 research network, allowing them to behave as a single, regionally distributed “computational power grid” of enormous capacity. ACEnet will also create and operate sophisticated collaboration facilities to bind together our geographically dispersed research communities.

Funding for ACEnet is worth over $23 million and infrastructure will be built over the next two years with significant contributions from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and the provincial innovation funds of Newfoundland and Labrador — the Industrial Research and Innovation (IRIF), Nova Scotia — Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust Fund (NSRIT) and New Brunswick — the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF). ACEnet is also strongly supported by Sun Microsystems which has entered a partnership to provide hardware, joint research and support a variety of innovation projects at the ACEnet member institutes.