EUROPEAN PROJECTS / National Competence Centres in the framework of EuroHPC Phase 3 (EuroCC 3)

National Competence Centres in the framework of EuroHPC Phase 3 (EuroCC 3)

Responsible for the project: Dr. Carmen-Elena Cîrnu, EuroCC 3 Project Director / Scientific Director, ICI Bucharest

General objectives of the project:

  • Consolidate and continuously develop the European network of National Competence Centres for HPC and extend its coverage through the integration of three new NCCs.
  • Broaden the uptake of HPC and HPDA across Europe, particularly among SMEs, industry and public sector organisations, through consultancy, technical support and facilitated access to national and EuroHPC resources.
  • Develop skills and human capital through training programmes, workshops, hands-on activities and exchange of best practices across NCCs.
  • Deliver user-centred services covering the full journey from needs identification and use-case assessment to infrastructure access, application optimisation, pilot projects and HPC/HPDA solution integration.
  • Strengthen European cooperation and the visibility of the HPC ecosystem in synergy with CASTIEL 3, AI Factories, Centres of Excellence, EDIHs and other relevant European initiatives.

Project description:

Project No 101306701 – EuroCC 3 is funded under the Digital Europe Programme through the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), call DIGITAL-JU-EUROHPC-2025-NCC-01, and runs for 36 months, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029. The consortium is coordinated by the University of Stuttgart and brings together National Competence Centres from 36 European countries.

EuroCC 3 builds on the achievements of EuroCC and EuroCC 2 and consolidates the NCC network as a European mechanism supporting the uptake of high-performance computing. NCCs provide consultancy, skills development, awareness activities and support for accessing HPC infrastructures. The network is closely linked with CASTIEL 3, the HPC in Europe Portal and the HPC Service Hub to enable coordinated service development, knowledge exchange and a unified European presence.

ICI Bucharest is the beneficiary hosting NCC Romania (RoNCC) and leads WP30 – NCC Romania. National activities are structured around five areas: T30.1 – NCC management and governance; T30.2 – outreach and networking; T30.3 – user needs analysis and service management; T30.4 – HPC service provision; and T30.5 – HPC training provision. RoNCC supports SMEs, large enterprises, public administrations and academia through consultancy, access to computing resources, support for application design, porting and optimisation, pilot/PoC activities, matchmaking and training programmes. HPC activities are developed in a complementary way with AI Factory initiatives, avoiding duplication and creating a coherent pathway from competence development to the use of advanced infrastructures.

Results:

  • Consolidation of a European network of 36 National Competence Centres with a harmonised model for services, training, best-practice exchange and user support.
  • Maintenance and further development of NCC Romania, hosted solely by ICI Bucharest, as a national reference point for HPC and HPDA competences, services, training and access to resources.
  • By the end of the project, NCC Romania targets Level 1 engagement of approximately 125–150 SMEs, 12–15 large enterprises, 30–40 public administrations and 38–45 academic and public R&D&I institutions.
  • For Level 2 in-depth engagements, NCC Romania targets 20–25 SMEs, 5–7 large enterprises, 8–10 public administrations and 8–10 academic and public R&D&I institutions.
  • Development and continuous update of the national HPC service portfolio, competence and infrastructure map, and tools for matching user needs with relevant resources and expertise.
  • Delivery of a sustainable national HPC training programme, including technical and business-oriented sessions and at least four collaborative events per year with other NCCs, EDIHs or Centres of Excellence.
  • Facilitation of Romanian users’ access to national and EuroHPC infrastructures, technical consultancy, funding opportunities and European collaborations, contributing to wider HPC uptake and the competitiveness of Romania’s digital ecosystem.
Short description

EuroCC 3 strengthens the European network of National Competence Centres (NCCs) for High-Performance Computing (HPC), supporting the development and provision of HPC services across all participating countries. The project brings together 36 NCCs acting as national one-stop shops for HPC expertise, services and training, with a strong focus on SMEs, industry, public administration and academia. In Romania, ICI Bucharest hosts NCC Romania (RoNCC) and facilitates user access to national and European HPC competences, services and resources.