D5.2: PRACE Integrated HPC Access Programme for SMEs

This document proposes a process for implementing the SME HPC Access Programme in Europe (SHAPE), a pan-European, PRACE-based programme supporting HPC adoption by SMEs. The Programme aims to equip European SMEs with the awareness and expertise necessary to take advantage of the innovation possibilities opened by HPC, increasing their competitiveness. The mission of this Programme is to help European SMEs to demonstrate a tangible Return on Investment (ROI) by assessing and adopting solutions supported by HPC, thus facilitating innovation and/or increased operational efficiency in their businesses.
SHAPE will address the following barriers to HPC adoption:

• Lack of expertise and/or knowledge on the possibilities of HPC and advanced numerical simulation;
• Lack of resources to facilitate the HPC adoption process;
• The entry costs of implementing new technologies.

Developing such a global programme through PRACE is the most effective option. For example, a pan-European programme will be able to provide resources and expertise that the existing local programmes will be unable to provide. Also, a pan-European initiative will open new possibilities for companies based in countries where there is no local programme. Thus, the Programme is seen as complementary to the local initiatives. As locality plays an important role in the evangelisation process, all projects will be served locally first, if that is the better option and if a local initiative exists in the given country. SHAPE will be employed in the case of projects that cannot be supported locally or for amplifying the outcome of national initiatives at the PRACE level (providing access to more HPC resources or allowing SMEs to be visible in a global market of 25 countries).
In order to support European SMEs, SHAPE will develop an integrated service offer:

• Information and networking;
• Access to expertise (science-domain expertise as well as applied mathematics, HPC and computer science expertise);
• Access to HPC systems (including pre- and post-processing and computing services);
• Access to funding sources.

The main area of the Programme’s operations will be work on a one-to-one basis with SMEs willing to adopt a new, HPC-supported solution. The Programme will be able to take such customers as far as trying out the solution on the Programme’s (i.e. PRACE’s) infrastructure. The existing solutions such as the PRACE Open R&D Access Programme, the PRACE Advance Training Centres and the PRACE Project’s Open Source code enabling activity will be employed in order to provide some of the Programme’s services.
In order to evaluate various solutions in the process of the practical project implementation, the WP5 team is proposing to run a Pilot Project commencing in June 2013 and ending in April 2014.