Innovations achieved with LUMI receive honors in 2024 HPCwire Readers’ and Editors’ Choice Awards

Advancements powered by the LUMI supercomputer have been recognized in the 21st edition of the HPCwire Readers’ Choice Awards, presented at the 2024 International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC24), in Atlanta, Georgia. The list of winners was revealed at the SC24 HPCwire booth, as well as on the HPCwire website.

These achievements, using LUMI’s resources, earned the following honors:

The Destination Earth initiative:
• Readers’ Choice: Best Use of HPC in Physical Sciences

The Destination Earth Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin:
• Readers’ Choice: Top HPC-Enabled Scientific Achievement

DigiFarm, a Norwegian company:
• Editors’ Choice: Best HPC Collaboration (Academia/Government/Industry)

The coveted annual HPCwire Readers’ Choice Awards are determined through a nomination and voting process with the global HPCwire community, as well as selections from the HPCwire editors. The awards are an annual feature of the publication and constitute prestigious recognition from the HPC community. They are revealed each year to kick off the annual supercomputing conference, which showcases high performance computing, networking, storage, and data analysis.

– This year, as we celebrate HPCwire’s 35th anniversary covering HPC and SC, and as we are at the advent of an HPC-led AI transformation, the 2024 Readers’ and Editors’ Choice Awards certainly reflect these exciting events, said Tom Tabor, CEO of Tabor Communications, publishers of HPCwire.

– Throughout the world, we see grand challenge problems that can only be explored and solved because of HPC, now aided by AI. Rarely do these accomplishments come to light, much less are they recognized for their contribution to society. Between our worldwide readership of HPC experts and the most renowned panel of editors in the industry, the Readers’ and Editors’ Choice Awards represent resounding recognition of the many deep and varied HPC accomplishments throughout the world. Our sincerest gratitude and hearty congratulations go out to all of the winners, he continued.

– We are extremely proud of these awards. This year is predicted to be the warmest in the measured history. LUMI’s computing power, used in initiatives such as Destination Earth and the Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin project, is crucial in our fight against climate change. These projects already provide tangible tools to deepen our understanding of climate change and to enhance our ability to predict and adapt to its impacts. In addition, we are proud to see DigiFarm receive this award for their pioneering work in transforming agriculture using HPC and AI. Such endeavours are examples of the various societal benefits of HPC, and according to a recent independent study, one euro invested in HPC services brings back 25 to 37 euros direct monetary benefit. The industrial use of HPC and AI will grow in the coming years with significant investments from the European Union and its Member States, said Kimmo Koski, Managing Director of CSC – IT Center for Science, Finland, on behalf of the LUMI consortium.

– I am delighted that Destination Earth, a flagship EU initiative, and LUMI have been recognised with not one, but two awards in the HPCwire Readers’ and Editor’s Choice Awards. These prizes are true recognition of the groundbreaking nature of Destination Earth. I am truly proud of all the achievements so far and look forward to the future as Destination Earth helps us tackle the climate challenges of today and tomorrow, said Roberto Viola, Director-General of the European Commission’s DG CONNECT.

– We are delighted that Destination Earth has received these rewards. ECMWF has been an Entrusted Entity of this visionary European Commission initiative since the beginning alongside its partners, ESA and EUMETSAT. In two years, over 90 organisations from across Europe, including CSC have collaborated with ECMWF to develop the digital twins. Combining this network with the strategic partnership, the power of EuroHPC and the expertise of ECMWF’s Member States network, we are seeing extraordinary innovation and progress. These awards are a huge honour for all involved, said Florence Rabier, Director-General of ECMWF.

– This recognition highlights the immense value LUMI brings — not only to our work but to society as a whole, particularly in optimizing agricultural land use and supporting a sustainable future. Working on the LUMI supercomputer has been nothing short of transformative. It has enabled us to develop higher-performing models and drastically accelerated our journey from training and R&D to product innovation and market readiness. We are also grateful for the excellent support from the National Competence Center for HPC in Norway, which made getting started on LUMI so much easier, said CEO Nils Helset at DigiFarm.

More information on these awards can be found at the HPCwire website or on X through the following hashtag: #HPCwireRCA24.

About LUMI

LUMI is Europe’s flagship supercomputer owned by the EuroHPC JU, hosted by the 11-country LUMI consortium. It is one of the world’s most powerful high-tech instruments and AI platforms for cutting-edge research. LUMI is located in CSC’s data center in Kajaani, Finland, which is one of the most eco-efficient data centers in the world. LUMI uses 100% hydropower, and its waste heat heats up the surrounding city. www.lumi-supercomputer.eu

About HPCwire

HPCwire is the #1 news and information resource covering the fastest computers in the world and the people who run them. With a legacy dating back to 1986, HPCwire has enjoyed a legacy of world-class editorial and journalism, making it the news source of choice selected by science, technology, and business professionals interested in high performance and data-intensive computing. Visit HPCwire at www.hpcwire.com